Contrary to some news reports, the Defence Headquarters has disclosed that Navy Commodore Kunle Olawunmi (rtd) had not been declared wanted by the Defence Intelligence Agency over his recent near-tell-all-interview on the state of security in Nigeria, where he alleged that some serving political office holders are sponsporing terrorism and banditry in the country.
According to a statement by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Benjamin Sawyerr on Saturday, the force only summoned Olawunmi via a text message to share intelligence and collaborate with the military on the anti-terrorism fight in his capacity as a top ex-serviceman.
Sawyerr urged members of the public to disregard reports claiming sawyer had been declared wanted. He added that a detailed statement containing DHQ’s reaction in respect of this claim will be released soon
“Please gentlemen of the press. There is a Sahara reporters online news that The DIA has ordered for the arrest of Cdre Olawunmi rtd. This is false and not true,” the statement read.
It continued: “You recall Olawunmi said he has privileged to lots of information during his media interview on Channels.
“He was only invited through text message to come over as a retired military officer to shed more lights with the information that would assist the AFN to further fight against terrorism, insurgency and banditry.
“Also recall that the CDS has just concluded his tour of the 6 Geo-Political Zones where he solicited for the support and cooperation of retired military officers. Arrest of persons was not part of it.
“We are issuing a statement soon,” the statement added.
Commodore Olawunmi (rtd) had in an interview with the Channels TV last week revealed that some political office holders including serving Nigerian Governors, Senators and ‘members of the high and mighty’ in Nigeria are sponsporing terrorist organisations and bandits.
The interview was in the wake of the shocking attack on Nigeria’s foremost military varsity, the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna, where Nigeria lost three of its gallant service men to bandits’ invasion.
The retired Commodore claimed the attack wouldn’t have been possible without some “insiders’ collaboration”, decrying the alleged rapprochement between the military and bad elements including bandits terrorising the Nigerian state.
Olawunmi, who said terrorist financiers want to turn Nigeria to a “Taliban type of country”, alleged that some Boko Haram suspects, who were arrested by the military had in the past fingered some top names as their financiers, wondering why the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government has failed to go after them and deal with what he described as ‘the center of gravity’ in the nation’s anti-terrorism fight.
“You remember this Boko Haram issue started in 2012 and I was in the military intelligence at that time. We arrested those people. My organisation actually conducted interrogation and they (suspects) mentioned names.
“I can’t come on air and start mentioning names of people that are presently in government that I know that the boys that we arrested mentioned. Some of them are governors now, some of them are in the Senate, and some of them are in Aso Rock.
“Why should a government decide to cause this kind of embarrassment and insecurity that happened yesterday (Tuesday’s attack on NDA)? Terrorist financiers want to turn Nigeria to a Taliban type of country.”
