The Borno State Government has clarified the arrest and detention of the Chairman of Mafa local government area of the state, Shettima Lawan, who was falsely reported by some media outlets as having links with the Boko Haram terrorists.

Commissioner for Local Government and Emirate Affairs in the state, Usman Zanna, in a statement, explained that  the council boss had voluntarily presented himself to the military to assist in ongoing investigations of one of the kingpins of the insurgency group.

Zanna expressed surprised at  the “very worrisome twist in the case,” noting that the detained council chairman  was renowned for his  courage in the counter insurgency campaign as he has worked closely with hunters and military commanders in Mafa to lead community fight against Boko Haram.

The ‎commissioner stated that his ministry would not have made public comments about the ongoing investigation as it “neither questions the judgment and authority of the military nor exonerates the chairman of any wrongdoing in order not to preempt the outcome of ongoing investigation.”

He added, however, that “It has become necessary that this statement is issued in order to put some records straight.

“First of all, contrary to media reports, the caretaker chairman in question was not arrested. He actually reported himself to the military command in Maiduguri after he got information that he was needed by the military.

“Secondly, contrary to reports by the media that he was arrested at the 1,000 Housing Estate along Maiduguri-Damaturu road … the Chairman lives at 505 Housing Estate which is located on an entirely different route, along Dikwa and Mafa which is the way to the Chairman’s office in Mafa.”

Zanna explained that it is a norm with almost every adult living in Maiduguri that they have relatives who had been displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency taking shelter at their homes.

He said: “The Chairman recently got involved in assisting some citizens trapped in a village within his local government area and he is believed to have Internally Displaced Persons living in his residence at 505 Housing Estate like most adults in Maiduguri, Jere and parts of Konduga do have fleeing relatives and friends living with them.”

But “There is an information that a certain suspected member of the Boko Haram might have joined some of the citizens he helped last week but whether he knew the identity of the suspect and deliberately hid him and for whatever purpose is what we look forward to being determined by the military.”

The commissioner further explained that “It is a twist because, for years, the caretaker chairman has been known for his courage in joining hunters to go into front lines to battle Boko Haram fighters.

“His commitment in the fight against insurgents is known to different Army Commanders that served in Mafa local government area in the last two years.

“The likes of Major Manga can bear testimony to this.”

Zanna pointed out that “it is mainly due to his passion for the fight against insurgency that he has been successively  reappointed as caretaker Chairman of Mafa for renewable term of six months as provided by laws of Borno State.”

He noted that his ministry was in full support of the investigation “because it affects the safety and integrity of the Ministry.”

“It would amount to seating on a keg of gun powder if anyone dealing with the Ministry, involves in harbouring any criminal, especially insurgents that have killed our parents, wives, sons and daughters in addition to sending our families out of their communities to now live with us in pains,” he said.

The commissioner stressed that the State government is “usually very thorough in identifying those appointed either as local government chairmen, ward councillors, traditional rulers, vigilantes and members of the Civilian JTF deployed to the 27 local government areas of Borno State.”

He assured Borno State citizens as well as the generality of Nigerians and the International Community that the military would come with the true position of things and would make its findings public.