General Christopher Musa, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, has pointed to potential external sources of funding for the Boko Haram terrorist group.
In an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Friday, the CDS suggested that the terrorist group might be receiving financial support from countries hostile to Nigeria, with an interest in destabilizing the nation.
Musa highlighted that, aside from funds raised through criminal activities such as kidnappings and armed robbery, Boko Haram may also be receiving external financial backing. “This is the one million dollar question: who is funding them?” he said.
He further noted that during an operation in the northeast, Boko Haram members were found in possession of hard currencies, raising questions about how they obtained such funds.
Musa added, “People don’t realize that many countries envy Nigeria’s success. There were predictions we wouldn’t survive until 2015, yet here we are in 2025, still standing. Not everyone is happy with our progress and development.”
Boko Haram’s insurgency, which began in 2002 under founder Mohammed Yusuf, has caused severe humanitarian crises, with over 300,000 children killed and 2.3 million people displaced.
The group, which was led by Abubakar Shekau until his death in 2021, has since fractured into several factions.