Ali-Keffi said the government’s response to Shekau’s death was notably muted, contrasting sharply with how the United States celebrated the killing of Osama Bin Laden by SEAL Team Six in Abottabad, Pakistan.
Retired Major General Danjuma Ali-Keffi, the former General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division and head of the covert Operation Service Wide (OSW), has alleged that the Muhammadu Buhari administration was displeased with his team’s success in eliminating Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau.
Ali-Keffi said the government’s response to Shekau’s death was notably muted, contrasting sharply with how the United States celebrated the killing of Osama Bin Laden by SEAL Team Six in Abottabad, Pakistan.
He noted that Shekau was a declared enemy of the state, notorious for his attempts to dismantle governmental influence in areas under Boko Haram’s control.
He said, “Crucially, the previous (Muhammadu Buhari) administration was unhappy with the Operation Service Wide after we got Shekau and that explains the refusal of the government to celebrate his death.
“Contrast this with how President Obama celebrated the killing of Osama Bin Laden, the former Al-Qaeda leader by the US SEAL in Abottabad, Pakistan.
“My perception. As I stated, Shekau was an avowed enemy of the state and he (Shekau) did not hide his disdain for the state and his desire to dismantle its influence in the areas that the Boko Haram carved out in their delusional caliphate.
“So, one would naturally have thought that the government would have come out to celebrate and claim credit for his demise. Furthermore, Shekau was at the top of the list given to OSW to either capture or eliminate. However, despite briefing the late Buhari of our success in ‘eliminating’ him, we did not receive even a well done.”
Ali-Keffi clarified that since OSW was a covert outfit, “so we weren’t expecting it to be done publicly but at least, privately”.
“Furthermore, the government subsequently pretended as if Shekau’s demise was not significant by not even making reference to his death as one of the administration’s achievements.”
“Contrast this with the elimination of Osama Bin Laden which the Obama administration still touts as one of its greatest accomplishments,” he added.
Ali-Keffi clarified that while Shekau was a prominent figure within Boko Haram, he was not the organisation’s topmost leader.
He said that international intelligence, including insights from the UAE and a key Western country, indicated that Alhaji Saidu Ahmed was the true leader and financial backbone of the group.
He explained the significance of Saidu’s arrest and subsequent release.
The detention of Alhaji Saidu severely weakened Boko Haram, contributing indirectly to Shekau’s death.
The disruption of the group’s finances and logistics forced many fighters and their families to surrender.
However, after Saidu’s release under what Ali-Keffi described as “questionable circumstances,” Boko Haram regained its strength, highlighting that Shekau’s death alone had not dealt a decisive blow.
“Shekau was a prominent figure of the organisation and for a long while, he was thought to be the number one until the UAE and a key Western country made us to understand otherwise,” he said.
Ali-Keffi’s comment regarding Saidu Ahmed confirms an exclusive reported recently done by SaharaReporters.
The report detailed information on a network of 20 Nigerian and three international individuals suspected of financing and facilitating terrorism, particularly linked to Boko Haram activities. Saidu Ahmed was the first name on the list.
Last Friday, SaharaReporters Alhaji Saidu Ahmed, also known as Alh Saidu or Alhaji Saidu Gold, born on July 6, 1961, is a Nigerian businessman residing in Zaria, Kaduna State.
Identified as a key financier of Boko Haram, he is connected to multiple associates and convicts through extensive financial transactions.
Investigation carried out by Nigeria revealed that his accounts had recorded inflows totalling N4.8 billion, with frequent cash withdrawals.
He is directly linked to convicts Surajo Abubakar Muhammad, Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, and Bashir Aliyu Yusuf, as noted in UAE court proceedings.
The retired general expressed frustration over the government’s lukewarm attitude towards the OSW immediately after Shekau’s death.
He also revealed that the former Director of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), Hamman-Tukur Modibbo, sought to hold a joint press conference to claim credit for the operation. Ali-Keffi refused, citing operational security risks that could expose infiltrated operatives and compromise ongoing missions.
Ali-Keffi noted that the OSW, initially slated to operate from October 2020 to April 2021, had its mandate extended until June 2022, with official approval of funds for the continuation.
However, he alleged that no funds were released to the unit in the six months following the extension, leaving him to personally finance operations.
He described the delay as “curious” for such a sensitive and costly operation.
“The former President also approved funds for the extension but up to the date that I was arrested, six months after, not a kobo was released to the OSW,” he said.
“Meanwhile, the late President Buhari had urged me to source funds. I was convinced with the approval on paper which I received sometime in May 2021. As of date, however, I have not been reimbursed for the money that I expended.”
“Is this not curious (delay in the release of funds) for such a sensitive and as expected, an expensive endeavour?” he asked.
The OSW, a specialised inter-agency unit focused on counter-terrorism, high-level intelligence gathering, and the disruption of terrorist financing networks, played a central role in the operation that led to Shekau’s demise.
Ali-Keffi credited the success largely to the intelligence and strategic planning of the late Brigadier General Abdulrahman Kuliya, who orchestrated efforts to pit Boko Haram and ISWAP against each other, triggering internal infighting that weakened Shekau’s faction.