Boko Haram: Northern governors call for investigation into allegation, as Mailafiya honours DSS invitation

 

Following the recent revelation by a presidential candidate on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2019 general elections, Dr. Obadiah Mailafiya, that one of the northern governors is the commander of Boko Haram in Nigeria, the Northern Governors Forum has called on security agencies to investigate the allegation.

Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, through his Director of Press and Public Affairs, said the forum was worried about the weighty allegation made by Dr. Mailafiya, which must be thoroughly investigated.

According to him, 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 and 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,” he maintained.

“We demand an immediate and thorough investigation.

He also urged Dr. Mailafiya 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 further stated that, he hopes that such allegations are not smeared campaigns or attempts to discourage the northern governors who are putting in their best to bring an end to insecurity in the region.

Lalong reiterated that the Forum does not, and will not support the activities of any criminal group, because as Governors and their families are also not spared as was recently witnessed when the convoy of Governor Babagana Zullum of Borno State was attacked.

Meanwhile, the former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr Mailafia, today (Wednesday) honored the invitation of the Department of State Security Service (DSS) over his comment which he alleged that one of the Northern Governors is the Commander of Boko Haram in Nigeria”.