The Federal Government yesterday said it has arrested some politicians over evidence of their ties with the dreaded terrorist sect, Boko haram.
Speaking at a news briefing at the National Information Centre Abuja, the Coordinator of the Joint Information Centre for Security, Mike Omeiri, said following the recent arrest of some members of Boko Haram in Bauchi and Borno states, some materials retrieved from them after detailed investigation had evidential links with the politicians they have arrested. He however declined to disclose the names of the politicians.
Also speaking, the spokesperson for the State Security Service SSS, Marilyn Ogar accused the “bringbackourgirls” campaign of running bank accounts. She said the Nigerian security agents have information that the “Bringbackourgirls” campaign now operate bank accounts and also compel members to register and carry tags before joining.
In a swift reaction, the convener of the “bringbackourgirls” campaign and a former Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili in a telephone interview with Channels TV last night, refuted the claims made by the SSS spokesperson.
“It’s absolute falsehood. In fact I call it a cocktail of falsehood. We don’t need bank account. This is strictly a citizens movement and neither do we need to register members. There is no person who walks over to the Unity Fountain that has not participated in our meetings. There is absolutely no truth to that and I think that should really worry Nigerians that our own state security sadly could actually put out such….I don’t even know what to call it”.
Asked how the campaign is being funded, Ezekwesili said;
“Well its very simple. The needs that we have are so basic. Its the Tee shirts and I can see some of the people in tee shirts and I can see some of the people wearing those face caps, that’s all we need and what normally happens is that all these members you see there, some bring in 10 Teeshirts, some 100. There is nothing that will need any kind of money, so you know this is really a pedestrian kind of falsehood” she said