Dr. Mailafia backs down on unsubstantiated allegations

After hours behind closed doors on Monday with grilling Department of State Services (DSS) agents, while hundreds of his supporters laid siege outside the DSS Office in Jos, the Plateau State capital, embattled former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, has done almost a recent of allegations he made that a serving northern state governor heads terrorist group, Boko Haram.

However, he, together with his lawyer, Mr. Yakubu Bawa, want the state security agents to stop inciting him for questioning after a third appearance.

But not a few are swayed by his position that he was not ‘forced’ to recant, after he appeared not to have concrete evidence to back his “huge and fearful” allegations.

Said Mailafia: “I had a routine appearance with the Department State Security, Plateau state command. I am very pleased that I was treated very professionally. There was no harassment or intimidation,” Mailafia said.

“Over a month ago when I gave a radio interview, based on what I heard. If I had my way there are few things I would say differently, but I spoke on the spur of the moments, and I believed that it was a matter of greater urgency to make a wake-up call to what is happening.

“I didn’t really mean to say that the government was part and parcel of the killings, I implied that they could do better because thousands are dying, innocent women and children, elderly and youths.

“But if I have my way I would have put it in better language, and I have no way of corroborating some of these things, I heard it and I could have follow them into their camps to confirm because I might not come back to tell the story, so that is the reality.

“I have indicated that I have reason to believe that my life has been in danger. I have no conclusive proof but I get threat, I get calls. Where I was staying, on Thursday, I saw some strange people at the gate trying to break in. I jumped the fence and escaped because I don’t know who they are.”