Former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume representing Borno South district, has disclosed the role former governor of Borno State, Ali-Modu Sheriff, played in the evolution of Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria.
The senator made the revelations during an interview session on Channels TV (Hard Copy). Sheriff played politics with Boko Haram members, while it was under the leadership of late Mohammed Yusuf.
Asked by the host, Maupe Ogun, why Sheriff shouldn’t be blamed for the spread of Boko Haram menace, Ndume said: ‘I know what happened at the time he was accused of being a sponsor of Boko Haram’.
“One of their leaders, Mohammed Yusuf, had a large followership, the group were playing politics back then and anybody they support who have an upper arm, they wanted full implementation of Sharia law in Borno and they went into an agreement with Sheriff to support him and in return he would implement Sharia law in the state.
“One of the members of the sect was even part of Ali Modu Sheriff’s cabinet (Commissioner) at the time, they had their own type of doctrine they were preaching which was peaceful as at then.
“They later had a clash with the authority and some of their members were killed, they later demanded justice and that was how the whole trouble started”
When asked if he would exonerate Ali-Modu Sheriff in the Boko Haram saga, Ndume replied, “I am not in the position to exonerate anyone”
Speaking on the accusations levelled against him by the Senate and the House of Representatives joint ad-hoc committee investigating the April 18 Senate invasion, he said he was disappointed.
Senators Ovie Omo-Agege (APC, Delta) and Ali Ndume (APC, Borno), have been accused and summoned by the lawmakers for allegedly aiding the invaders who stole the mace from the Senate, which was later recovered by the police.
Ndume who is yet to ascertain if he will honour the invitation of the ad-hoc committee replied, he is being accused of instigating and that he prevented the Sergeants at Arms from doing their job. He stressed that he doesn’t have the capacity to do that.