The Northern Governors Forum has called on security agencies to investigate the allegation by a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia in which he alleged that “one of the Northern governors is the Commander of Boko Haram in Nigeria”.
In a statement issued late Wednesday, Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Plateau State Simon Bako Lalong, said the Forum is concerned about the weighty allegation made by Dr. Mailafia which must be thoroughly investigated.
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He said the Forum which has been working with the Federal Government, security agencies, community, civil society, traditional and religious leaders as well as development partners to defeat terrorism, banditry and other forms of crimes in the region, finds the allegation very weighty which deserves further investigation.
Lalong said “we as Northern Governors have met severally to discuss insecurity in the Northern Region and the nation at large where we did not only condemn the activities of terrorist groups such as Boko Haram, bandits, armed robbers, kidnappers and other criminals, but also engaged the President and all heads of security agencies in finding solutions to the problem.
“To now say that one of our members is leading Boko Haram in the Nigeria is a serious allegation that cannot be swept under the carpet. We demand immediate and thorough investigation”.
He also urged Dr. Mailafia and indeed all citizens with useful information on the activities of criminals and terrorist groups to assist security agencies and Governments at all levels with such intelligence for proper action.
The Governor also hopes that such allegations are not smear campaigns or attempts to discourage the Northern Governors who are putting in their best to bring and end to insecurity in the region.
He reiterated that the Forum does not, and would not support the activities of any criminal group, because they as Governors and their families are also not spared as was recently witnessed when the convoy of Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State was attacked.
Meanwhile, the Department of State Services (DSS) had on Wednesday grilled Obadiah Mailafia, for about seven hours over the allegation.
Obadiah made the allegation during an online radio station interview which was circulated on the internet as well as social media, saying that his claim was from ‘credible’ repentant bandits and their leaders.
Among other claims made by the former CBN deputy governor was that during the lockdown, the insurgents were moving and distributing arms and ammunition across the country, and that their planes were moving up and down as if there was no lockdown.
Mailafia arrived at the DSS office with his lawyers, wife, family members, friends, and many Middle Belt pressure groups who waited at the DSS office until he was released around 7pm.
- What Mailafiya said
The former CBN deputy governor said the name of the northern governor, the alleged commander of the Boko Haram Insurgents was revealed to him in a chat with two repentant terrorists.
According to him during the covid-19 lockdown, the Boko Haram insurgents had distributed arms and ammunition across the country freely.
“During this lockdown their planes were moving up and down as if there was no lockdown. They moved ammunition, moved money across different parts of the country.”
He said him (Mailafiya) along with others met with the Boko Haram top commanders.
“Some of us also get our intelligence networks. We have had meetings with some of the bandits; We met with some of their high commanders – one or two that had repented-, They sat down with us not once, not twice,”
He said the terrorists and bandits are the same.
“They told us that one of the northern governors is the commander of Boko Haram in Nigeria. Boko Haram and the Bandits are one and the same.
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