Boko Haram camps in North-East, Nigeria have been hit with food scarcity thereby forcing indoctrinated members of the militant sect to continue to move out in droves, intelligence sources have said.
According to a Tuesday Daily Mail report, while some Boko Haram suicide bombers and militants were seen heading for Europe, others had begun to travel to join and fight for the Islamic State in Syria.
A source linked to Nigeria’s National Intelligence Agency was quoted as saying that, “They (Boko Haram refugees) will soon start showing up on the Mediterranean’s shores.
“Some of these people are trained suicide bombers and fighters, including children as young as 10. They have all been indoctrinated by Boko Haram and they could soon turn up in Europe’s capitals.”
Intelligence sources also reported that human traffickers from the ISIS-backed terror group were transporting girls and young men across the Sahara into Libya.
The situation, they said, was even more worrisome because “five children are dying an hour with 250,000 at risk of starvation while parliament remains hamstrung in a political wrangle.”
The crisis is being blamed on the instability in the Senate attributed to the criminal charges pressed by the Federal Government against the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
Daily Mail quoted an intelligence source as saying that Saraki’s prosecution had been obstructing his attempt to get the Senate to pass a motion to grant £215m in aid to tackle the emergency in the North-East.
He said, “This case needs a swift conclusion for the country to unite and tackle the very serious issues of famine, security and a stumbling economy.
“This famine must not happen on our watch. I have seen the plight of these people with my own eyes and it is desperate. The government is making every effort to ensure money is available to fully address this issue.”
He said the situation was not justifiable after Britain had committed to spending £860m foreign aid to Nigeria, to help support the country’s efforts to crush Boko Haram terror group.
The report quoted a British public health expert who has just returned from Borno region, Dr. Yodi Alakija, as describing the situation as an “international crisis.”
“The UN requires Nigeria to declare it a humanitarian disaster to get relief. This is not a time for politics or game playing. Five children are dying an hour every single day.
“This requires urgent action. We need people to drop their political differences and come together. They can fight later when the children are ok.”
The medic, who works for UNICEF, warned, “If we do not make adequate provision for these people there could be an exodus. That’s when Europe will panic and it will happen when people have nothing and take desperate measures.”
Culled from: Punch Newspaper
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