The Department of State Security Service has paraded seven fake Boko Haram negotiators taking undue advantage of the insurgency in the North East and dubiously enriching themselves.
Deputy Director, Public Relations of the DSS, Marilyn Ogar, noted that the suspects were part of several local and international groups out to 'make merchandise of the Boko Haram insurgency through concocted and fabricated stories' with an aim to discredit the efforts of security forces. She noted that the department will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that terrorism is stamped out.
Among those arrested was an aide to the Governor of Borno State, Junaid Khadi, and six other associates of the self-styled Australian negotiator, Stephen Davis, who pretended to be Boko Haram commanders. They collected millions of naira and organised a fake ceasefire agreement with the Federal Government.
Some of the other suspects paraded by the service 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).
The DSS spokesperson 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.
After thorough investigations, the seven suspects, who were Davis’ associates, were apprehended 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.
According to the DSS Spokesperson, 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.
“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.”
She also disclosed 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,” Ogar said.
credit: The Punch
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