Boko Haram: Northern Governors demand probe of Mailafia’s allegation

By ISAAC SHOBAYO, Jos

The Northern Governors Forum (NGF) has called on security agencies to investigate the allegation by a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr Obadiah Mailafia,  that “…one of the Northern governors is the commander of Boko Haram in Nigeria.”

The chairman of the Forum who is also the Governor of Plateau State, Simon Bako Lalong, in a statement signed by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Dr Simon Makut Machan, said the Forum is concerned about the weighty allegation made by Dr Mailafia which must be thoroughly investigated.

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 by Dr Mailafia 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 Nigeria is a serious allegation that cannot be swept under the carpet. We demand an immediate and thorough investigation.”

He also urged Dr Obadiah 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 said he hopes that such allegations are not smear campaigns or attempts to discourage the Northern governors who are putting in their best to bring an end to insecurity in the region.

He reiterated that the Forum does not and will 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 former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr Obadiah Mailafia on Wednesday honoured the invitation of the Department of State Security Service over his comment that government is culpable for the ongoing killings and in Southern Kaduna.

Dr Obadiah Mailafia arrived at the Plateau State Command of the DSS Jos at exactly 12: 45 pm along with Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN Pius Akumbo and Plateau State Chairman of Nigeria Bar Association Barrister Saleh Bawa.

Obadiah Mailafia’s invitation was not unconnected to an interview he granted an Abuja radio station, 95.1FM, on Monday which he said repentant terrorists told him that a serving northern governor was Boko Haram leader.

Obadiah Mailafia, who was the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress in the 2019 election, said the terrorists moved weapons even during the COVID-19 lockdown. (Nigerian Tribune)