THE Department of Security Service (DSS) has again invited Obadiah Mailafia, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for further interrogation over his comments on Boko Haram sponsorship.
Chidi Odinkalu, a former Chairman of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) who disclosed this on Twitter on Friday said that Mailafia has been asked to appear at the DSS office in Jos, Plateau State on Monday, September 14.
“#Breaking: #Nigeria‘s #SecretPolice, #SSS, has ordered Dr. Obadiah Mailafia to report again for further interrogation to their office in Jos, Plateau State on Monday, 14 Sept 2020, at 11:00 hrs. His case against @PoliceNG on the same matter is pending,” Chidi said.
Maliafia had in an interview with Nigeria Info, an Abuja based radio station in August claimed that one of the serving governors in Northern Nigeria is the sponsor of Boko Haram insurgency.
He was thereafter invited for questioning and clarification on Wednesday by the DSS).
Mailfia who has been to court to challenge an invitation by the criminal investigation unit of the Police asking him to appear for criminal investigation confirmed his recent invitation by the DSS to The Nation newspapers on Friday.
He said that his life has been in danger, alleging that certain political forces were bent on silencing him for speaking the truth.
“I have once again (for the 3rd time) been ordered to appear before the DSS at their Jos HQ this coming Monday 14th September at 11.00 am,” Mailafia
“This is in addition to our battle in court, as my lawyer appears before a Jos High Court on Friday, September 11, seeking a restraining order against the DIG Criminal Investigations Department (CID) who are also pursuing me.”
The former CBN Deputy Governor said all his public life as a civil servant, he had no criminal record even when he worked abroad.
“I spent over 20 years of my working life abroad as a university teacher, banker and international civil servant with an unblemished record,” he said
“I have no criminal record —not even a parking ticket. Sadly, it is in my own fatherland that I’m being subjected to criminal investigation and such extreme political persecution.”
“Please, pray for me. I have reasons to believe that my life is in danger and that some powerful political forces want to silence me forever for speaking the truth.
“For speaking on behalf of the Holy Martyrs — of thousands of innocent children, women, elderly and youths that have been killed in our beloved country,” he added.
The ICIR reports that Mailafia insisted that he would not recant his words and would not retract them despite admitting that he was quoted out of context in the interview he granted Nigeria Info FM radio.
He stated this while addressing journalists in Jos, Plateau State shortly after he came out of the office of the State State Services (SSS) where he was invited for questioning, over his alleged comments on the sponsorship of Boko Haram in Nigeria.
Also, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) sanctioned the Nigeria Info FM, with a fine of N5 million following Mailafia’s interview.
The NBC disclosed this in a press statement that the fine was as a result of the ‘unprofessional conduct of the radio station in a ‘Morning Crossfire’ programme aired on August 10.
According to NBC, the station provided its platform for Mailafia ‘to promote unverifiable and inciting views that could encourage or incite to crime and lead to public disorder’.
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