Mailafia’s Boko Haram Allegation Heavy Must Be Probed — Northern Govs

Following the allegation that a serving northern governor is a commander of Boko Haram, the Northern Governors’ Forum has called for a thorough investigation as such allegation is too weighty to be ignored.

Expressing concern over the allegation, the umbrella body of the 19 northern governors noted that as a body, they have been working hard to see the end of banditry and terrorism and for one of them to be alleged to be a leading member of Boko Haram calls for a thorough probe.

Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, former Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Deputy Governor, made the claim in an interview on an Abuja-based radio station, on Monday, claimed that a governor from the north is a commander of Boko Haram and that insurgents would soon start urban killings and attacking southern parts of the country.

Mailafia said: ‘’During the lock-down, the insurgents were moving and distributing arms and ammunition across the country. We have met with some of their repentant high commanders, they have sat down with us not once, not twice.

“They told us that a prominent elected politician in the North is the commander of Boko Haram in Nigeria. Boko Haram and the bandits are one and the same.  During this lock-down, their planes were moving up and down as if there was no lock-down.”

Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, reacting on a day that the Director of State Service, DSS in Jos invited Dr. Mailafia for questioning over the allegations, said the allegation is weighty and must be investigated.

In a statement by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Makut Macham, the Plateau governor urged Dr. Mailafia who made the allegation 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.

He said: “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. The Forum is concerned about the weighty allegation made by Dr. Mailafia which must be thoroughly investigated.

“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.

“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.

I urge 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 hoped that such allegations are not smeared campaigns or attempt to discourage Northern governors who are putting in their best to bring an end to insecurity in the region.

“The Forum does not, and will not support the activities of any criminal group, because we as Governors and our families are also not spared as was recently witnessed when the convoy of Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State was attacked.”