Jos—Former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, who was invited by the Department of State Services, DSS, for questioning over some allegations he made on the security situation in the country, has been released after hours of grilling.
Dr. Mailafia, on Wednesday, honoured the invitation of DSS over his comment that government is culpable for the ongoing killing in Southern Kaduna, alleging that a serving governor in one of the states in the North is a Commander of Boko Haram.
He arrived at the Jos, Plateau State Command of the DSS at exactly 12:45p.m., along with his wife, Margaret; a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Pius Akubo; Plateau State Chairman of Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Bawa; Rev. Gideon Para-Mallam, among others.
Members of various socio-cultural organisations from the Middle Belt, carrying placards demanding his immediate and unconditional release, were also at the entrance of the DSS office.
He was there from the time he reported until about 7p.m., when he was released unconditionally.
Speaking shortly after his release, Dr. Mailafia said he was treated with respect and decorum during the period of interrogation.
He noted that all the killings in Southern Kaduna and other states in the country must stop with immediate effect.
According to Mailafia, every Nigerian child, from Daura, Katsina, Manchok to Zaria and other places are his children.
He added that he was not talking politics, that the struggle for emancipation was his concern, stressing that he is not afraid of to die for the sake of the people.
He pointed out that it is the duty of government to protect lives and properties of citizens and commended his well-wishers and supporters, urging them not to give up on one Nigeria.
His wife, Margaret, appreciated all who stood by them, saying her husband is “a good man who stands with the people.”
…Mailafia insists gov leads B’Haram, NGF seeks probe
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.
Mailafia spoke with journalists shortly after he was released by the Department of State Services, which grilled him for more than six hours at their Jos, Plateau State office.
He said 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.
A public peace advocate, Rev Para-Mallam, signed for his release at the end of his encounter with the DSS.
Mailafia said he would not keep silent in the face of the current security challenges facing the country even if it meant for him to die. He called for an end to the killings in Southern Kaduna and other parts of the country.
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.”
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.”
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