SSS quiz ex-Gov Shekarau over Boko Haram sponsorship

Posted by admin Headlines, Kano, State News Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

Immediate past governor of Kano State and presidential candidate of the
All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, in the April 2011 general elections,
Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau was on Tuesday quizzed for several hours by
the State Security Services, SSS, operatives over alleged sponsorship of
the Boko Haram sect.

The sect which had killed at least 1,000 through sporadic bomb blasts
and shootings is believed to have the backing of prominent northern
politicians who avail them cash and other logistics.

There were allegations that Shakarau paid N10 monthly to Boko Haram
during his tenure as governor, the core reason, he was invited by the
security outfit.

Although, SSS spokesperson, Marilyn Ogar denied the invitation, a
source said the former governor was quizzed over his relationship with the
sect.

It was gathered that Shekarau was quizzed for about three hours in Abuja
after which he was allowed to go home.

According to our source, he had an “interactive session” with the SSS.
Call it invitation, arrest or whatever, the important thing is that he was a
guest of the SSS who are investigating his alleged romance with the
Boko Haram sect.

Following the Friday serial bomb blasts and shootings in Kano which
resulted in the death of over 200 people, angry President Goodluck
Jonathan was said to have handed a fresh mandate to the various
security outfits to fish out sponsors of the sect as an effective strategy to
tackle the violent sect.

“It is believed that the sect has continued in its violent attacks because it
has sponsors who are unrelenting. If the channel of funding is crippled the
sect would soon become vulnerable. Most of the arrests made by
security agents are actually errand boys. None of the sponsors or god-
fathers has been nabbed”, the source volunteered.

Following the Friday Kano bombings, both Shekarau and his successor,
Governor Rabui Kwankwaso had engaged each other in a war of attrition
on the sponsorship of the sect.

The public exchange of verbal assaults led to the accusation by
Kwankwaso that Shekarau paid monthly sum of N10 million to the sect
while in office.
-Africanexaminerwp_posts