.NGF calls for probe
Edozie Udoejo,Abuja
A former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr Obadiah Mailafia, on Wednesday said he won’t retract his statement that a northern governor is the leader of Boko Haram.
Following his revelation on the sponsorship of Boko Haram insurgents in Nigeria, the ex Deputy Head of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), was yesterday grilled for six hours by the Department of Security Services (DSS) in Jos and later released on bail.
Mailafia maintained that there was no need for him to retract anything.
Mailafia was invited by the DSS on Wednesday following an interview he granted to an Abuja radio station during which he said a northern governor was the commander of Boko Haram.
Mailafia arrived at the DSS office located on West of Mines Street around 12:30 pm in an ash-coloured Range Rover vehicle marked: Abuja 843 LX and was later released a few minutes past 6pm.
On arrival at the DSS, he was ushered into one of the offices alongside his lawyer, Mr. Pius Akubo (SAN), while other people who came with him in solidarity were barred from entering the premises.
A public peace advocate, Rev Para-Mallam, signed for his release at the end of his encounter with the DSS.
Speaking to journalists shortly after his release, Mailafia said he was treated with respect and decorum during his interrogation by the security operatives, warning that all the killings in southern Kaduna and indeed other states in the country must stop.
On his claim, Mailafia said, “If I retract anything, I won’t be able to leave this place. I am a man of peace, I am not a man of violence.
“I must never give up on Nigeria, if need be, I will die for Nigeria.”
He said that every Nigerian child either from Daura in Katsina or Manchok , in Kaduna must be treated with respect they deserve, as they are all Nigerians, adding that he was not talking politics, but like Nelson Mandela, he was in the struggle for the emancipation of the people.
He noted that it is the duty of the government to protect the lives and property of its citizens, adding that “I’m not afraid to die for the sake of the defenceless people.”
He commended his well-wishers that have been praying for him, urging them not to give up on one Nigeria, and stressing that his stand on national issues has never been negotiable.
Meanwhile, the Northern Governors Forum has called for an investigation into the allegation made by Mailafiya.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Chairman of the body and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, described Mailafia’s allegation as weighty, saying it must be investigated.
Lalong said, “We, as Northern governors, have met severally to discuss insecurity in the region and the nation at large where we did not only condemn the activities of terrorist groups such as Boko Haram, bandits 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 is a serious allegation that cannot be swept under the carpet. We demand immediate and thorough investigation.”