Boko Haram: I Stand By My Statement, Mailafia Says After Grilling By DSS

Obadiah Mailafia, a former presidential aspirant and ex-deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has stood by his recent statement that some repentant Boko Haram members revealed to him that a governor in the northern part of the country is one of the leaders of the terrorist group.

Mailafia spoke to journalists after honouring an invitation by the Department of State Services (DSS) on Wednesday.

The former presidential aspirant had reported to the DSS office in Jos, Plateau State, where he was grilled for hours.

Mailafia said, “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.

“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.

“But I am not a sensationalist, I am an economist and a central banker, by nature we are not given to sensation.”

He added, “Let me make it clear, I am a humanist, I am a man of peace. Even my name Mailafiya means a man if peace. From the bottom of my heart, I love our country daily 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. I also pray that the killings will stop in Zamfara, Daura, in Katsina, in Birnin Gwari, in my beloved Southern Kaduna, in the whole of the middle belt, in Borno, Adamawa and other places.

“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. Let also said that 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. Let us join hand together to build a new country, let us work together to safe our country and I pray that all of us will do our part to maintain the peace and make sure that our country make progress.

“I want to thank the officials of the State Department, they have done a tremendous job, they treated me professionally, I have not been rough-handled and they have been very very fair and gracious to me.”