Obadiah Mailafia Insists Northern Governor Leads Boko Haram After Being Released From DSS Custody

By Edna Wande On Aug 13, 2020

A former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr Obadiah Mailafia has said he would not retract his statement that a Northern Governor is the leader of Boko Haram.

Mailafia was invited by the Department of State Services (DSS) over the claim which he made the claim while being interviewed on an Abuja-based radio station on Monday.

He reported to the Jos office of the DSS at about at about 12:48 pm, accompanied by his lawyers, Pius Akubo and Yakubu Bawa.

Several supporters also stormed the office, carrying placards and they were at the location till he was released at about 6:30 pm.

Addressing his supporters after six hours of being grilled, Mailafia said he stood by what he said during the radio programme and that there was no need for him to retract his statement.

He however stated that a section of the radio interview was lifted out of context of the entire radio station, stressing;

We had a lively and intense interview over a radio interview I granted. That interview which was meant for an FM radio station, some just picked the clip — a small section of the 55 minutes broadcast — and put it on social media and it went very very far all over the country, raising a lot of concerns.

What I want to say is that, yes, all of those words were made by me. You know if the whole of the 55 minutes was played out, the context of what I said in a small clip that went viral would have become clearer.

Mailafia stressed;

This is not the time to disown what I said. Yes, I was privy to some very sensitive information which all statesmen are entitled to have by virtue of our public roles. I know that I should have taken more care to corroborate some of the information I received, but perhaps some of it was uncorroborated. I was in no position to follow them to the camp to corroborate what was going on.

I am not a sensationalist, I am an economist and a central banker; by nature we are not given to sensation. Let me make it clear: I am a humanist; I am a man of peace. Even my name, Mailafia, means a man of peace.

He added;

From the bottom of my heart, I love our country dearly and I abhor all the killings and violence which the innocent people of this country have been subjected to. I pray that Nigeria will never experience another civil war.

The most elementary duty of government is to protect its citizens. When a government fails to protect its citizens, to protect little children, that is a serious matter. Any innocent boy or girl that is killed is my own child. I love Nigeria. Like Mandela, let me say if need be, I am prepared to give my life for Nigeria.

Mailafia thanked officials of the security agency for their conduct, and prayed for peace in the country.