Former Kano State Governor and the Sardauna of Kano, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau has said that the reports about his invitation and arrest by the State Security Services (SSS) are false,? describing the development? “as callous and unfair”.
The ex-governor, who spoke during a press conference in his house yesterday, also challenged anybody with any wrongdoings by his administration to make it public.
He said, “The story making the round that I was arrested by the operatives of the SSS over “my alleged role in the financing of the Boko Haram sect was made while I was at the Nnamdi Azikwe taking sips of my tea.? It was very embarrassing, unfortunate and misleading.”
Shekarau also insisted that he was never quizzed by the SSS, saying that, ‘there was never a time I was grilled or quizzed by the SSS , but I went to its office to share information in my capacity as an important personality in the country’.
He said the allegations in the media that he was among some of the sponsors of the Boko Haram while in power and that he sponsored the sect with a monthly allowance of 10 million through the state Hisbah board was unfounded.
He said, “On reading the story, I quickly put a rejoinder and advertorial in some papers to state our position and what we know. And an associate, a staff of the SSS called me to say that he saw the rejoinder in some papers but he would like me to come over so that we discuss. That I obliged but shortly after, I heard that my name was in the media and that the SSS had invited and arrested me. I was shocked and called the officer to ask whether there was a game plan.
“The discussion I had with the officer while at the SSS office was friendly, very? impressive and excellent, I spent an hour and half in the office and even prayed my Zuhr and Asr there before I left to the airport to board an IRS aircraft to Kano”.
‘”I received several calls which my attention does not go to because I put my phone on silence, my staff that we were together with now came to me gasping that there was a report on the AIT that I was arrested by the SSS and on checking my cell phone, I saw several calls from friends and well wishers over the issue’.
Shekarau also explained that,? “after receiving the shocker of my live,? I now called the very person that we had meeting with and asked him what was happening,? he now told me that he too was shocked to have seen the story on television, but promised to find out what exactly went wrong.
“In order to clear myself,? I felt it is pertinent that I should call this press conference to clear issues as they are and let the whole world know exactly what is happening and whether I have ever made anything to look like I have relationship with the Boko Haram members’.