The Department of State Service has
arrested an aide to Borno State Governor, Junaid Khadi, and six other
associates of the self-styled Australian negotiator, Stephen Davis, who
claimed to be Boko Haram commanders and organised a fake ceasefire
negotiation with the Federal Government.
The suspects allegedly collected millions
of Naira from the Federal Government while giving the impression that
they were members of the deadly sect interested in a ceasefire
agreement. The other suspects include Abubakar Yusuf
(a.k.a. Baba Sani); Saleh Ibrahim (a.k.a Liman Ibrahim; Abdullahi Saleh
(a.k.a Babadale); Nurudeen Ibrahim; Mubarak Adamu (a.k.a. Molo); and
Mustapha Maidugu (a.k.a Musty/Small).
Parading the suspects on Tuesday in
Abuja, the Deputy Director, Public Relations, DSS, Marilyn Ogar,
explained that following allegations by Davis on August 29, 2014, that a
former Borno State governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, and a former Chief of
Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika were sponsoring Boko Haram, the
service initiated an in-depth investigation into the accusations.
Consequently, she said, the seven
suspects, who were Davis’ associates, were arrested and it was
established that they were part of a well orchestrated plan to spread
falsehood, undermine and discredit the efforts of the government to end
terrorism in the country. Ogar described the Australian and his
cohorts as part of several local and international groups who were out
to “make merchandise of the Boko Haram insurgency through concocted and
fabricated stories.”
She explained that Khadi confessed to
have known Davis since 2006 and that he introduced one Aisha Wakil, a
lawyer, to the Australian as a credible link to top members of the
violent Islamic sect. Ogar said, “Khadi is a 45-year-old Kanuri
man from Borno State. He was an aide to the Borno State Governor,
Kassim Shettima, and he confessed that he and one Gen. Ashafa went with
Davis on a journey to a remote part of Marte Local Government Area of
Borno State, on a false mission to rescue the abducted Chibok
schoolgirls.
“He deliberately conspired to blackmail
and implicate Ali Modu Sheriff, a former governor of Borno State, and
one Mala Othman, a former state Chairman of the All Progressives
Congress as sponsors of the Boko Haram sect. He said he did this by
mounting pressure on the fake Boko Haram commanders, particularly
Abubakar Yusuf, to affirm that Sheriff was indeed a sponsor.”
Ogar stated that Khadi made the claim to
give weight to his scam and compel the government to negotiate with the
fraudulent group. But when this failed, he said he sold the idea to
Davis to conjure the indictment of Ihejirika based on allegations that
the military under him, was responsible for several failed attempts by
the Australian to make contact with the Presidency.
“Khadi also confessed that he organised
several meetings between the purported Boko Haram commanders and Davis
in Abuja and he was privy to a Youtube video, an interview on Voice of America
and he also used Davis’ camera to capture snapshots of Davis in a group
photograph with some fake commanders of the sect,” she narrated. Ibrahim, who was a casual member of staff
of the Borno Radio Television, confessed to have joined the sect in
2003 and was an ardent follower of the late Mohammed Yusuf until 2005
when he quit the sect to join the BRTV.
The suspect told journalists during an
interview that Khadi paid him N300,000 for his role in the mischievous
media campaign by Davis. Other suspects also said they received
various amount of money after participating in a government-sponsored
dialogue with the sect, adding that they also met with Ambassador Hassan
Tukur, the Principal Secretary to President Jonathan and the Taminu
Turaki-led dialogue committee as top members of Boko Haram Shura
Council, a claim which was false.
Post a Comment