Date Published: 08/18/09

Dear Sir,

Boko Haram: Gov Sheriff's cock-and-bull story

Reading the front page of Daily Independent newspaper of August 11, 2009, you will not be left in doubt as to the extent the Governor had compromised with Boko Haram that led to the crisis.

He said that he last saw Buji Fai (one time commissioner under him) two years ago when he (Buji) walked into his (governor’s) office and said he was resigning his appointment because taking salary from government was haram (sin). Buji advised the governor to do same so that he would enter Paradise otherwise he was hell-bound.

The governor also confirmed that Boko Haram is evil, worse than the Maitasine. He recalled that the sect leader, Muhammed Yusuf, had written abusing every leader in the country including him (governor) and the President; boasting that he had been arrested before and released and that the same would happen, should he be arrested again.

The governor after all this and having further arming himself with intelligence report still allowed government-confirmed 1,178 hectre farmland allocated to the father (of) and being used by founder (of) Boko Haram to remain. The security agencies had recommended for the revocation. 

Governor Bunu Sheriff should tell his story to the marines. He remains responsible and his story to the Daily Independent story even implicated him the more. No one needs further investigation to find out how involved he was in this case, being the chief security officer of Borno state. He had two-year notice of the threat and what preventive action did he employ?

Mr. Akin Jamiu,164 Akilo Road, Ogba, Lagos