I’m not the brain behind Boko Haram –Modu Sheriff

Posted by admin Boko Haram, Borno, Headlines, State News Thursday, July 14th, 2011

Former Borno State Governor, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff, has denied a claim credited to former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) General Jeremiah Oseni (retd) that he was the brain behind the creation of the Islamic fundamentalist, Boko Haram.

The group, he said, had been in existence before he got into office in 2003.
He also denied being quizzed by the operatives of the State Security Service (SSS).

“No, it was not true that I was quizzed by the SSS. In fact, I went there on my own,” he said.
Speaking to State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Sheriff explained that his apology to the group was in the interest of peace, since the group said it would stop its actions if he and two others apologised to them publicly.

He, however, said there was nothing new in the public apology he made to the group, noting that it was not different from the one he made to the generality of the state when he handed over to the current governor.
“I didn’t apologise to Boko Haram. I apologised to every citizen of Borno State when I was leaving office in my May 29 speech.

“The Boko Haram said that they will stop what they were doing if the governors of Gombe, Bauchi and Borno apologised to them publicly. The two governors have done so publicly. I only lifted from my May 29 speech on what I have done in the last eight years. I said I have served them for eight years, I must have in one way or the other offended the people. I ask everybody that I have offended including Boko Haram to forgive me,” he said.
According to the former governor, “Boko Haram has been in existence before I became a governor. The so-called leader of Boko Haram was arrested and executed in Abuja before I even thought of becoming the governor of Borno State. So, people make comments on what they don’t know and in life, you don’t speak on matters that you are not very competent on. Who said that I am a mentor of Boko Haram? There is no truth in the statement.”
The governor also stated that the fact that a former commissioner under him was linked to the group was not enough reason to label him as the mentor of the group, as according to him, the said commissioner was already in active politics before coming to serve under him.

“No. I want to make this very clear. Buji Foi was a politician. He was a chairman of his own local government before I became the governor. And he was out of my cabinet two years before the Boko Haram crisis and, if I would be held responsible for anything done by anybody who served in my cabinet, then nobody can govern any state in Nigeria.
“Buji Foi was a politician before I became a governor; he was a chairman of his local government, and like any other person, they brought his name from his local government as a nominee and we appointed him commissioner. And at a stage, we found that he was not doing what we wanted and we did not re-appoint him. Before the incidence of Boko Haram, he was not in the government for two years. So, we couldn’t have taken responsibility for his action and most importantly, I didn’t know when Buji was arrested or when he was killed and who arrested him and who killed him,” he said.

Reacting to the allegation attributed to General Useni that he was responsible for Boko Haram, the former governor said the statement was not correct. He also denied any link between the people selling fuel on the street and the group.
“This report is not correct; I saw it on the pages of newspapers today. But since I didn’t speak to General Useni, I gave him the benefit of the doubt that he did not make that comment, but now that you (journalists) said that he came here and he told you that story; that story was not correct. He said that he saw people selling petrol in major streets of Maiduguri. NNPC depot in Maiduguri did not receive petrol from Kaduna refinery for over 15 years and marketers go to Kaduna and Lagos to get petrol and people buy it and sell.

“So, innocent people cannot be Boko Haram. Boko Haram and these boys selling petrol are two different things.
“In any case, I did not even introduce the selling of petrol in jerrycans to Borno State. It had been in existence before I came. If all the past military and civilian governors in Borno State did not ban the sale of petrol outside petrol stations, why should I come and ban people who are legitimately earning a living? And there is no responsible government in Borno State or Nigerian that will allow a young man carrying arms on the street and allow him to sell on the street.
“So, that report is most unfortunate and I am surprised that somebody like Gen. Useni will be making a public statement like this at his age. I respect him and I also believe that he should always be cautious when speaking in public, otherwise the respect and the position he has earned would be in question,” he said.

On the way forward, he said he had done all he could while in office.
He, however, added, “But as we know, when there is a problem, people want a solution to the problem that they found themselves in. There are many ways of solving a problem. But when people are carrying bombs and guns, it is a serious problem that needs every possible intervention to control. Since I left government, I have not gone to Maiduguri and, therefore, I don’t know what they said the JTF has done. So, at my level, I will never make a comment on what I don’t know.”

On why he was in the State House, “I am a former governor and as a Nigerian, I have the right to seek an appointment to see my Commander-in-Chief as a past governor in Borno State for eight years. I came to see the President and discuss matters that I felt are important to me.”

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