5th September, 2014
The Department of State Services (DSS) says it is investigating former governor of Borno, Modu Sheriff, over allegation that he is a sponsor of the Boko Haram.
Marilyn Ogar, Deputy Director, Public Relations of the DSS, stated this on Friday at a news conference.
Ogar also said that other allegations made by the Australian negotiator, Mr Stephen Davis, over sponsorship of the sect by some individuals were being investigated.
“As for the former governor, he has been invited twice by this service and the service has also invited him again,” she said.
The DSS spokeswoman, however, defended former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejerika, saying that it was uncharitable to accuse the ex-army chief of sponsoring the sect.
Ogar, who was responding to questions, said the accusing Ihejerika is not the right way to reward a man who risked his life for the security of the nation and its citizens.
“I would want to say here that it is absolutely uncharitable for us as Nigerians to reward somebody who laid his life in pursuing this people – insurgents.
“During his time, the military succeeded in bringing down activities of insurgents in Kano, Okene and other parts of Nigeria to a halt and pushing them to Sambisa forest.
“To say the same man, because he is no longer in service, is sponsoring Boko Haram is a wicked thing. That should not be the way we reward people who laid down their lives to provide a secured environment for us,” she said.
Ogar denied that the service was holding any suspect in the connection with the April 14 Nyanya bombing that was related to an official of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
She also denied that the DSS was not the source of the information credited to Davis, whom she described as “self-appointed negotiator”.
It would be recalled that the negotiator alleged that the official was an uncle to three of the suspects in custody of the service. Davis also alleged that the service had probed the official.
Ogar presented the six suspects arrested in connection with the incident, including one of the alleged co-mastermind, Aminu Ogwuche, to newsmen for question.
All of them denied having any relations with the alleged CBN official.
Ogwuche denied that he was a member of the Boko Haram but that he had given out N30,000 to six widows of members of the sect.