Barrister Kaka Shehu Lawan, Attorney General and
Commissioner of Justice, Borno State has deposed 40 reasons to support his
claim that the erstwhile governor of the state, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff
precipitated the Boko Haram insurgency that has led to more than 20,000 deaths
and displacement of more than two million persons in the Northeast. Reacting to
Sheriff’s demand for apology and facts on his claim first made at the Nigerian
Bar Association, NBA conference in Port-Harcourt, Lawan articulated 40 reasons
he said showed that Sheriff’s arrogance and desperation for power may have
nurtured the insurgency through his actions while in office. Challenging
Sheriff’s uprightness in the killing of Mohammed Yusuf, the leader of the group
in 2009, he said: “In an interview on Sunday Politics on Channels TV, Ali Modu
Sheriff said about two weeks ago, that he had seen Mohammed Yusuf at the Giwa
military Barracks in Maiduguri after he was arrested during 2009 crisis. The
important question is why was Yusuf moved from the military custody to the
police headquarters if not for him to be killed, especially given the fact that
Buji Foi was taken to the same police headquarters and killed.” What did
Sheriff as Chief security officer do to secure Muhammad Yusuf. Why was Muhammad
Yusuf not allowed to make open confessions which could have included his claim
of being betrayed. “On July 5, 2011, former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff tendered
an apology to the Boko Haram sect “for whatever he might have done wrong to
them”. Why did he apologize, if he knew he did nothing wrong to the sect.”
Noting the killing of 17 members of the group allegedly by security officers
while on a funeral procession in 2009, the commissioner said the complacency of
Sheriff government on the issue was a moral burden. “The Borno Government under
Ali Modu Sheriff completely disregarded that incident. The government did not
issue statement to condemn the shooting; the government didn’t sympathise with
the victims; the Government did not conduct any inquiry on the shooting; the
government neither visited the shot sect members in the hospital nor did it
care to pay for the medication of the 17 injured sect members. “Sheriff was
told by different public commentators, including some officials in his
administration that his act of disregard for that bloody incident could be
viewed by the sect as an affront yet out of arrogance, Sheriff ignored all wise
counsel with his government acting as if there was no incident at all. “In an
interview on Daily Trust a few days later, leader of the sect, Malam Muhammad
Yusuf threatened a reprisal attack alleging that the actions of the Borno State
Government which neither condemned the shooting, made inquiry nor empathized
with the sect was an indication that the shooting was orchestrated with the aim
of eliminating his followers . “A day or so after the interview, Yusuf
delivered a sermon in Hausa language,
titled, “open letter to President Umaru Musa Yar’adua” and directed his
followers to go and arm themselves in preparation of self defense and eventful
Jihad in response to the shooting of his 17 followers. “Even while Muhammad
Yusuf issued this directive and threat for Jihad, Governor Ali Modu Sheriff
still disregarded the possible room to make peace with the sect. “On Tuesday,
July 21, 2009, some members of the sect, 9 in number were arrested in possession
of 74 empty bomb shells, a large quantity of gun powders, chemicals and other
components of making improvised explosive devices. They were arrested in Biu,
headquarters of Biu local government area in southern part of Borno State,
which is about 180 kilometers away from Maiduguri. “On Friday, July 24, 2009,
the nine arrested sect members were paraded at the police headquarters in
Maiduguri with their materials for making Improvised explosive devices on
display by the police. “Commander of the group of 9 sect members, Inusa Ibrahim
Sabo told journalists on record that they were in possession of the explosive
materials in preparation to defend themselves against Ali Modu Sheriff’s
operation flush. He said they were directed by Muhammad Yusuf to arm themselves
because they presumed the shooting of their brothers was intentional and they
were no longer safe. “That very Friday of July 24, 2009, the first explosion in
Maiduguri took place. It was a locally made bomb which exploded at night in the
residence of one Hassan Sani Badami from Biu, a follower of the sect trained in
making explosive devices. The bomb exploded while it was being prepared by
Badami. Another follower of the sect working with Badami sustained severe
injuries while Badami’s wife and child were taken to the headquarters of
Operation Flush on Dikwa road. “The following day, Muhammad Yusuf in reaction,
described Badami’s death as ticket for him into paradise.im
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