Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ahmed Idris-Wase, has claimed that Boko Haram members and other criminals were once found on the recruitment lists of the Nigerian Army and Police Force.
Wase, representing Wase federal constituency in Plateau State and leader of the North Central Caucus, made the revelation yesterday during a special plenary session on national security. He warned that such infiltration threatens the country’s security system.
“My brother, former chairman of defence, and my very good friend, will bear me witness. There were moments in time when, in the process of recruitment, Boko Haram members’ names were found in the list. Other criminals, armed robbers and gangs were found in the list of the Nigerian Army and the police,” Wase said.
He called on politicians recommending candidates for security jobs to ensure they are people of integrity, warning that recruiting criminals undermines national security.
Wase also revealed that the North Central zone accounts for 52% of insecurity in the country. Sharing personal losses to buttress his point, he said he had lost a brother, a cousin, and a nephew to terrorist attacks.