The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Borno state has alleged that some loyalists of former Governor of the state, Ali Modu Sheriff and led by one Barrister Kolo Adam, are behind rumours that Boko Haram’s leader, Abubakar Shekau has been arrested by the army at a UN rented facility in Maiduguri.
The party in the state also said that the rumour peddlers are doing so with the ulterior motive of destabilising the state. The party called for the arrest of Mr. Adam for also allegedly trying to incite the youths against the humanitarian workers and breach public peace in the state. APC APC Borno state made this know in a statement issued in Maiduguri on Friday through its Publicity Secretary, Makinta Zarami. Mr. Zarami claimed that Kolo Adam was the first to post information on his Facebook wall saying he had information that Shekau had been captured at the UN house with one of his legs injured.
According to the statement, “The APC in Borno State is worried that since former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff lost his case at the Supreme Court over the Chairmanship of the PDP, his loyalists have redirected their mischief to spread different rumours with the most dangerous being that of today.
“We were shocked that Kolo Adam, a known associate and one of the spokespersons of Sheriff’s group, pasted on his Facebook wall today, claiming that Abubakar Shekau was arrested by the Nigerian Military at a facility rented by agencies of the United Nations in a house belonging to late Governor Mala Kachalla. “The same Kolo Adam claimed that abducted Lecturers of University of Maiduguri were rescued.
Immediately after Kolo Adam pasted that, some loyalists of the former Governor began to share the information through different social media platforms. The aim was to achieve series of objectives.
“First, it was to incite youths in Maiduguri against hundreds of humanitarian workers in order to destabilize Borno State just to create a political atmosphere of failure on the part of the APC led Government in Borno State to keep the State stable. Secondly, the rumour was to link Boko Haram with the Mala Kachalla who was a known political opponent of Sheriff so as to cleverly distance Sheriff from issues relating to Boko Haram.
“It was also aimed at tarnishing the image of the Federal and State Government which deal with humanitarian agencies helping highly traumatized victims of the Boko Haram insurgency. The APC hereby demand for the immediate arrest of Kolo Adam and all those who worked with him in sharing this dangerous rumour that is capable of putting the lives of over two million IDPs at the risk of loosing food and medical support from agencies of the United Nations and other humanitarian workers.
“The APC also calls on security agencies to continue to do their job and take on anyone or institution with factual link with the Boko Haram so long as there proofs beyond reasonable doubt.
The APC calls on the people of Borno State to dismiss this rumour while calling on all those carrying out humanitarian activities to remain calm and continue their works but with strict obedience to the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the laws of Borno State under the APC” Zarami said.
Meanwhile, the army, Friday, has given reasons why it raided the UN building. The Nigerian Army on Friday said it had conducted cordon and search operation at a building housing the United Nations (UN) staff in Maiduguri following alert on high profile Boko Haram members. Lt. Col. Samuel Kingsley, the spokesperson, 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, said in a statement released in Maiduguri that the army had intensified condone and search operation in Maiduguri and its environs to clear remnants of Boko Haram insurgents.
“On 10th August 2017, the Theatre Command received information from credible sources that some high profiled Boko Haram insurgents infiltrated into Pompomari-ByePass area of Maiduguri. “It therefore became expedient to take pre-emptive action by combing the general area through a cordon and search operations.
“The operation was successfully conducted as over 30 houses were searched. One of such building included a property which was said to be occupied by United Nations Staff, although the property did not carry a UN designation. “On the whole, operation in the general area was successfully concluded but no arrest was made because the suspects were not found,” Kingsley said. Kingsley noted that troops under the Operation LAFIYA DOLE had been conducting several clearance as well as cordon and search operations in urban and rural areas within the Theatre.
He said that the clearance operations effort had yielded significant successes in the past weeks. According to him, the operation had forced Boko Haram insurgents to change tactics and resort to suicide bombing targeting military locations and the populace. Kingsley stressed that the operation was necessitated by the need to intensify Cordon and Search in Maiduguri metropolis and environment.
He listed other areas affected by the operation as Jiddari –Polo, Muna Garage, Jakana among others. “The command wishes to assure the general public that the operations are being conducted to safeguard lives and properties but not targeted at any individual or group. “Members of the public are cautioned against peddling rumours which may cause disaffection and to remain law abiding”.
