The Department of State Service has arrested an aide to Borno State Governor, Junaid Khadi, and six other associates of the self-styled Australian negotiator, Stephen Davis, who claimed to be Boko Haram commanders and organised a fake ceasefire negotiation with the Federal Government.
The suspects allegedly collected millions of Naira from the Federal Government while giving the impression that they were members of the deadly sect interested in a ceasefire agreement.
The other suspects include Abubakar Yusuf (a.k.a. Baba Sani); Saleh Ibrahim (a.k.a Liman Ibrahim; Abdullahi Saleh (a.k.a Babadale); Nurudeen Ibrahim; Mubarak Adamu (a.k.a. Molo); and Mustapha Maidugu (a.k.a Musty/Small). Parading the suspects on Tuesday in Abuja, the Deputy Director, Public Relations, DSS, Marilyn Ogar, explained that following allegations by Davis on August 29, 2014, that a former Borno State governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, and a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika were sponsoring Boko Haram, the service initiated an in-depth investigation into the accusations.
Consequently, she said, the seven suspects, who were Davis’ associates, were arrested and it was established that they were part of a well orchestrated plan to spread falsehood, undermine and discredit the efforts of the government to end terrorism in the country.
Ogar described the Australian and his cohorts as part of several local and international groups who were out to “make merchandise of the Boko Haram insurgency through concocted and fabricated stories.”
She explained that Khadi confessed to have known Davis since 2006 and that he introduced one Aisha Wakil, a lawyer, to the Australian as a credible link to top members of the violent Islamic sect.
Ogar said, “Khadi is a 45-year-old Kanuri man from Borno State. He was an aide to the Borno State Governor, Kassim Shettima, and he confessed that he and one Gen. Ashafa went with Davis on a journey to a remote part of Marte Local Government Area of Borno State, on a false mission to rescue the abducted Chibok schoolgirls.
“He deliberately conspired to blackmail and implicate Ali Modu Sheriff, a former governor of Borno State, and one Mala Othman, a former state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress as sponsors of the Boko Haram sect. He said he did this by mounting pressure on the fake Boko Haram commanders, particularly Abubakar Yusuf, to affirm that Sheriff was indeed a sponsor.”
Ogar stated that Khadi made the claim to give weight to his scam and compel the government to negotiate with the fraudulent group. But when this failed, he said he sold the idea to Davis to conjure the indictment of Ihejirika based on allegations that the military under him, was responsible for several failed attempts by the Australian to make contact with the Presidency.
“Khadi also confessed that he organised several meetings between the purported Boko Haram commanders and Davis in Abuja and he was privy to a Youtube video, an interview on Voice of America and he also used Davis’ camera to capture snapshots of Davis in a group photograph with some fake commanders of the sect,” she narrated.
Ibrahim, who was a casual member of staff of the Borno Radio Television, confessed to have joined the sect in 2003 and was an ardent follower of the late Mohammed Yusuf until 2005 when he quit the sect to join the BRTV.
The suspect told journalists during an interview that Khadi paid him N300,000 for his role in the mischievous media campaign by Davis.
Other suspects also said they received various amount of money after participating in a government-sponsored dialogue with the sect, adding that they also met with Ambassador Hassan Tukur, the Principal Secretary to President Jonathan and the Taminu Turaki-led dialogue committee as top members of Boko Haram Shura Council, a claim which was false.
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