Retired Major‑General, Danjuma Ali‑Keffi, former General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division and head of the covert Operation Service Wide (OSW), has accused the Muhammadu Buhari administration of being displeased with his team’s success in eliminating the dreaded Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau.
According to Sahara Reporters, Ali‑Keffi faulted the muted government response, saying Shekau’s death, coming after years of terror and insurgency, should have been celebrated.
He said, “Crucially, the previous (Muhammadu Buhari) administration was unhappy with 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 … one would naturally have thought that the government would have come out to celebrate and claim credit for his demise.”
He added that although OSW was a covert outfit and did not expect public recognition, at least, privately, the success should have been acknowledged.
Instead, he said, the administration “pretended as if Shekau’s demise was not significant by not even making reference to his death as one of the administration’s achievements.”
Shekau Eliminated, But Leader Behind Scenes Far More Dangerous — Ali‑Keffi
Ali‑Keffi argued that while Shekau was a notorious Boko Haram figure, international intelligence pointed to another man as the group’s real leader and financial backbone, Alhaji Saidu Ahmed.
The general claims that Saidu’s earlier arrest and later questionable release weakened Boko Haram and contributed to Shekau’s downfall.
He said the disruption of Boko Haram’s finances and logistics forced many fighters and their families to surrender. However, after Saidu regained freedom, the group apparently regained strength, showing that Shekau’s death alone did not deal a complete blow.
“Shekau was a prominent figure of the organisation, but international intelligence made us understand otherwise,” he said, underscoring his view that Saidu and other financiers remain the true danger.
OSW’s Mandate Extended, Funds Withheld — Ex-General Laments
The retired general also revealed that although the OSW’s mandate was officially extended until June 2022 and funds approved, no single kobo was released to the unit for six months after the extension.
He claimed he was forced to personally finance operations, a curious stance, he said, given the sensitive nature and high cost of counter‑terrorism efforts.
Ali‑Keffi said, “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.
“Meanwhile, I was convinced with the approval on paper, As of date, however, I have not been reimbursed for the money that I expended.”
He questioned the rationale for withholding funds from a specialised inter‑agency outfit that played a central role in dismantling terrorist networks.
Ali‑Keffi traced the root of the alleged sabotage to internal army politics. His appointment as OSW Commander, he said, followed recommendations from the heads of intelligence agencies, but reportedly angered the then Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, who felt the task should belong to Army Headquarters.
He recalled a late‑night meeting in 2020 at the Flag House residence, where Buratai demanded that the Army take full control within 48 hours and exclude OSW from operations, a demand he said he rejected.
“He directed that a laptop be given to me to download the entire information given to me, then said the Army would carry out the task within 48 hours without the OSW,” Ali‑Keffi recalled.
Though Buratai briefly offered support later, including vehicles and logistics, Ali‑Keffi declined, suspicious that the items might be compromised. He described the atmosphere thereafter as hostile and untrusting, suggesting that intra‑service rivalry undermined the fight against insurgency.
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