Nigeria’s Adamawa State Earmarks $1m For ‘Prayer Warriors’ To Pray Against Boko Haram

I know as Africans we like to revel in the most stupid of actions, but tell me this isn’t the stupidest idea you ever heard?

When a terrorist organisation as destructive as Boko Haram is causing havoc, and they are showing no signs of slowing, and there have been many stories of the Nigerian Army sometimes fleeing from the terrorists because of poor morale and equipment, is this the best use of anyone’s 200,000,000 Naira?

It’s easy to decipher why charlatans like T.B Joshua and Obinim continue to grow fat on this plagued continent. Of course, there’s only one thing that’s often at the root of such stupidity.

Nigeria’s Adamawa State Government has announced that they have earmarked 200 million Naira for prayer warriors, to help combat the Boko Haram insurgency. Apparently, a huge chunk of the money would be spent on prayer warriors, whose job it would be beseech Allah to help stop the terrorists.

The announcement was made earlier today, by the Abdurahman Jimeta, the Chief of Staff to the Adamawa governor. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the money was pooled from the state and local government’s joint account.

“We have earmarked N200 million for prayers to seek for Allah’s intervention in tackling the Boko Haram menace and other insecurity challenges threatening the stability of the state,” Mr. Jimeta said.

He said that part of that money, which would be spent as security votes, would go into assisting local vigilance teams and security operatives.

Adamawa is one of the three states most ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency which has caused the death of about 20,000 people since 2009.

A state government doing this? This sounds like someone’s idea of a sick joke.