The Borno State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Kaka Shehu Lawan, has called for the arrest of former governor of the State, Ali Modu Sheriff, for allegedly creating insecurity situation that led to emergence of Boko Haram.
He stated this during at the ongoing 56th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Lawan stated that between 2003 and 2011, the creation of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and alleged bad governance that heralded his administration escalated insecurity in the state.
“Ali Modu Sheriff was a former governor of Borno State for eight years and left the state in a state of insecurity. The issue that happened in Borno, the insecurity that brought us to this situation we are in, was as a result of bad governance, illiteracy, lack of respect for the rule of law, impunity in the administration of Ali Modu Sheriff, which the Federal Government then, did not checkmate his excesses and it escalated to this level.
“And up to today, he is moving freely and nobody is talking to him. All hands must be on deck, if, actually, justice must be done to the hundreds of people that were killed in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“He should be arrested. He should be investigated. He should be interrogated for the facts we have just mentioned in Port Harcourt here. His records were known to everybody, even you media men. The Federal Government is aware; the State Government is aware; you media men are aware.
Can he deny that fact, that he was a governor between 2003 and 2011. Can he deny that Muhammed Yusuf freely operated between 2003 and 2009 and the aberration laws he passed?” he alleged.
He explained that recent attacks by the Boko Haram insurgents were mere acts of desperation to mislead people that they are relevant and strong. According to him, being a member of the security council in the state, he can attest that Boko Haram has been relegated to the background.
“They are at the fringes of Chad and Sambisa forest. So, you have to encounter some of these skirmishes here and there because it is guerilla warfare.
“But, let me tell you that the era of Boko Haram regrouping themselves in hundreds to take over communities is over.”
Lawan lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing up-and-doing officers and soldiers to fight the counter insurgency operations. He called on government to support the youth vigilance group (Civilian JTF), who were partnering security forces to dislodge the insurgents.
•Sourced from The Guardian. Photo shows Ex-Governor Modu Sheriff.
