Boko Haram Commander: Mailafia backtracks, reveals new source of claim

Obadiah Mailafia, a former deputy governor at the Central Bank of Nigeria, who alleged that a northern governor is one of the commanders of Boko Haram terrorists has backtracked the source of his claim.

Mr Mailafia who made the claim on Monday during a radio programme said some repentant Boko Haram terrorists confided in him that an unnamed state governor from the North leads the extremist group.

“They (the repentant insurgents) told us that one of the northern governors is the commander of Boko Haram in Nigeria. Boko Haram and the bandits are one and the same. They have a sophisticated network,” the presidential candidate in the last general election claimed.

Mailafia who was invited by the Department of State Services (DSS) and was released after being interrogated now says he got his information from Fulani traders.

His new stance is contained in an interview he granted BBC Hausa yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Northern Governors Forum has called on security agencies to investigate the weighty allegation and not sweep it under the carpet.