The national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday called for the prosecution of former Borno State governor, Ali Modu Sheriff over his alleged role in funding of insurgency in the North-east.
Australian negotiator, Dr. Stephen Davis, hired by the Federal Government to negotiate with Boko Haram for the release of the Chibok girls had last Thursday named Senator Sheriff and former Chief of Army Staff, General Azubuike Ihejirika as sponsors of the terror group. But Sen. Sheriff said in a report published yesterday that associating him with Boko Haram was a poly by his detractors to tarnish his image. Also, Ihejirika dismissed former Federal Capital Teritory (FCT) minister, Nasir el-Rufai’s claim. This is even as the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has called for an investigation.
Addressing newsmen yesterday in Abuja, APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, called on the government to hand over Sheriff and General Ihejirika to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for investigation and prosecution.
“The die is cast. The truth is finally out! Boko Haram sponsors have been exposed. They are within the ruling PDP. They are friends of President Jonathan. He cannot pretend not to know who they are and what they have done and are still doing. His myriad of intelligence agencies, including the DSS and the DMI, cannot pretend they do not have any information on these men.
“Now that the cat has been let out of the bag and the real sponsors of Boko Haram have been exposed, we hope President Jonathan will summon the courage to do the right thing: Hand over the identified Boko Haram sponsors to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for investigation and prosecution.
“There is no doubt that Boko Haram has committed crimes against humanity in its scorched-earth campaign against unharmed citizens, and the most appropriate body to investigate and try the sect’s sponsors is the ICC. Nigerians can rest assured that the APC will not allow this issue to be swept under the carpet. “
Odigie-Oyegun, flanked by the party National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, said Sheriff was alleged mole for President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP while he was in APC.
“It is true that Ali Modu Sheriff was a until recently, a member of our Party. But the party always suspected that he was a mole, planted to hijack or at best weaken the new party for the PDP.
“Recall, gentlemen, that immediately Sheriff went back to the PDP, the Maiduguri Airport that had been closed to even the pilgrims from the state on ground of security was re-opened specially for him. What more evidence does anyone need that Sheriff was and remains President Jonathan’s Man Friday?,” the APC said.
Meanwhile, the ACF has urged the Federal Government to probe the allegation. ACF has also expressed disappointment with what it called the “inept attitude and leadership of the military” in the anti-terror war.
Rising from its Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting held yesterday in Kaduna, and chaired by its Chairman, Mallam Adamu Fika, the group described the seizure of some towns in the North by the insurgents, as “grave and worrisome.”
This is even as it further observed that, while the capture was going on, there appears to be no counter-action from the military, the agency constitutionally responsible for the protection of Nigerian territory, its people and integrity.
At end of the meeting, ACF issued a statement, signed by its Publicity Secretary, Mohammed Ibrahim, where it condemned “the seizure of some local government areas in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states and the continuous capturing of more territories of Nigeria by the insurgents.
“ACF expresses its disappointment with the inept attitude and leadership of the military in combating this menace that had resulted into mass killing of innocent souls, destruction of property and displacement of persons. It equally appeals to the military and other security agencies to review their strategy, share intelligence and cooperation with neighbouring countries, use modern weaponry and tactics to reclaim Nigerian territories presently under the control of the insurgents.
“ACF calls upon the Federal Government to urgently investigate the weighty allegations made by Dr. Davis against the persons named in his interview with the international media in funding and sustaining the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East region. Persons found to have been involved in such crime against the state should be prosecuted to serve as a deterant to others.
“ACF urges Nigerians to rise up and unite for good governance and peaceful co-existence irrespective of political, religious and other inclinations. ACF calls upon the government at all levels to provide adequate rehabilitation materials to displaced persons located in various rehabilitation centres in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states. It also commends the hospitality of the neighbouring countries like Republics of Niger, Chad and Cameroon that provided relief materials and accommodation to our people who fled to their countries,” the forum said.
In an interview with New Telegraph, Sheriff said Boko Haram’s activities started in Borno State before he became governor, regretting that contrary to the perception in some quarters, he was indeed, the first victim of the group.
“I was the first victim of Boko Haram in their first attack, they killed my brother, the same father and mother with me. That was when they fought the military in Borno.
“They killed my cousin. They killed my candidate for governorship, they killed my party chairman. Two of them were direct relations of mine. Why did they do that? Because I made a law prohibiting Boko Haram in the domain of Borno State,” he said.
Also reacting to el-Rufai’s accusation, Ihejirika challenged him to provide Nigerians with evidence of his alleged sponsorship of Boko Haram.
He described el-Rufai’s claim as diversionary and a deliberate attempt by the former minister to distract the attention of the international community, government and the security agencies from focusing on the ways and means of curbing Boko Haram’s activities, he told Daily Sun recently.
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Prosecute Boko Haram sponsors now, APC tells FG |
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