The Northern Governors’ Forum on Wednesday urged security agencies to investigate the allegation by a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, that “…one of the northern governors is the Commander of Boko Haram in Nigeria”.
A statement in Jos, the state capital, by Dr. Mukut Simon Macham, the Director of Press and Communication Affairs to the Chairman of the forum and Plateau State Governor Simon Bako Lalong, said the NGF was concerned about Mailafia’s weighty allegation, which must be thoroughly investigated.
The statement said the forum, which had 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, found it necessary to call for the investigation.
It added: “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 problems.
“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.”
The forum also urged Mailafia and other Nigerians with useful information on the activities of criminals and terrorist groups to assist security agencies and government at all levels with such intelligence for proper action.
It hoped that such allegations were not smear campaigns or attempts to discourage the North’s governors from ending insecurity in the region.
The NGF stressed that it would not support the activities of any criminal group as one of its members, Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum’s convoy was attacked recently.
The Department of State Services (DSS) had invited Dr. Mailafia for questioning over the allegation.
