Politicians, not Boko Haram killed ANPP guber candidate, 5 others – Gov Sheriff

Following the murder of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) gubernatorial candidate and six others, Borno State governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, on Monday, described last Friday’s killing of the late  Modu Fannami Gubio and his younger brother, Goni Mustapha Sheriff as politically motivated and not Boko Haram, as being generally insinuated.

Sheriff said that he strongly believed that what happened on Friday in Maiduguri was not carried out by Boko Haram members.

“If it is all about Boko Haram as we earlier thought, then why are the targets restricted to politicians in ANPP? First, it was our late party chairman and deputy zonal chairman, Awagana Ali Ngala, who incidentally was my cousin, and then last Friday, they attacked our gubernatorial candidate and my younger brother alongside five other innocent souls. We all know the patterns of the Boko Haram people who will just rush out, shoot into the air and run into hiding; but all those that died on Friday were shot right on the head, and only specially trained persons can do that”.

The governor who spoke to newsmen shortly after returning from Abuja on Monday evening, where he had gone to meet with the vice-president, Alhaji Namadi Sambo and the Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim, added that he had got the nod of the two to support Borno State government in giving the people more protection so that they could carry out their normal daily activities without any form of intimidation.

The governor also said he was not in any way surprised by the recent campaign of calumny that was launched in the media where some elements are suggesting that a state of emergency be imposed in the state.

“We know where they are coming from; they are behind it all these while. As soon as they achieved what they planned on Friday, they rushed to the media calling for a state of emergency. This alone is a clear testimony that people are desperate and they want to get power at all cost. But we will not allow this to happen again we will surely get them in no time,” Sheriff said.

Governor Sheriff  who entreated the security agencies to do their job and fish out the perpetrators immediately, especially now that it has become clear that the killings in Borno were the handiwork of some unidentified politicians whom he said are “desperate to get power through the back door, rather than going through the ballot boxes”, also noted that the Vice president, Namadi Sambo, as well as the Inspector General of Police have agreed to partner with the Borno State government to fish out those behind the killings and to restore peace and security in the state as soon as possible.

His words: I have got all the assurances from the vice president whom I have spoken with one on one as well as the Inspector General of Police; they have given me their word and approval to deploy more units of mobile policemen and additional troops of soldiers to boost the security network in Borno State. We will, by the grace of God, protect all citizens and residents of Borno and by the grace of God, all the perpetrators will be brought to book; and this state will be secure and protected more than ever before, insha Allah”.

On the issue of who becomes the next candidate of the party, Governor Sheriff disclosed that while in Abuja, he was able to secure a special 10 days of grace from the INEC within which the party will present a new candidate that will hoist the ANPP flag in Borno State.

“I have just returned from Abuja, I went to speak with INEC on the incident we had and we have got an extension of time to produce our own gubernatorial candidate within the next ten days. We will never be deterred; they are making a big mistake, and we will carry on in the same strong spirit of victory, insha Allah”, said Governor Sheriff.

-Tribune

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Posted by admin on Feb 1 2011. Filed under Latest Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry