Sheriff’s Loyalists Behind Rumoured Arrest Of Shekau At UN House – Borno APC
…Says it’s a plan to destabilize Borno
BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The Borno State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Friday accused some loyalists of former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff allegedly led by one Barrister Kolo Adam, as being behind the dangerous and unwarranted rumours claiming that Boko Haram’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, was arrested at a United Nations (UN), rented facility in Maiduguri.
The APC specifically said that the aim of the rumour was to incite youths against some of the humanitarian workers with a view to destabilizing the fragile peace being enjoyed in parts of Borno State.
A statement by the Publicity Secretary of the Party in the State, Makinta Zarami, said that Kolo Adam was the first to paste information on his Facebook wall in which he claimed that he had information that Shekau had been captured at the UN House with one of Shekau’s legs injured.
He, therefore, called on security agencies to arrest Kolo Adam for thorough investigation and prosecution.
According to Zarami; “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 the 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 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 losing food and medical support from agencies of the United Nations and other humanitarian workers.”
The APC called on the 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 are proofs beyond reasonable doubt.
The ruling Party also called on the people of Borno State to dismiss this rumour just as it appealed to 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 Borno State under the APC.
