3 Most Outlandish Allegations In Nigeria: From Tai Solarin, Obasanjo To Obadiah Mailafia

 

 In 1989, student demonstrations and unrest on campuses around the country at the end of May resulted in the burning of some government vehicles and the ransacking of government offices. The May demonstrations across the country, known as the anti-SAP (Structural Adjustment Programme) riots, included students, non-students, workers, the unemployed and school children. It was also reportedthat the students freed 600 prisoners and set the Benin prison on fire. 

A student was reportedly killed during demonstrations on 29 May 1989 at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State. Another incident at the University of Nigeria occurred when students reportedly demonstrated after one of their colleagues had allegedly been shot and wounded. Several students were reported to have been arrested following demonstrations at the various universities. The official statistics on the riots were released by the government and published in the 26 June-2 July 1989 issue of the weekly newsmagazine West Africa. It was reported that 22 lives had been lost during the riots, while other reports put the figure at over 50 people that had been killed in Lagos and 13 universities closed by the beginning of June 1989. Thirty rioters were charged in connection with the May's disturbances, in a Benin court. 

According to media reports, allegations of corruption on the part of Nigeria's leaders (Military President Ibrahim Babangida and co.) fuelled the May riots. These allegations were circulated by late Dr. Tai Solarin, a social critic and educationalist, who based his comments on information received indirectly, allegedly from a May issue of the American Ebony magazine. However, the publisher of Ebony stated that his publication had not printed anything on Nigeria since 1977. The State Security Service publicly interrogated Dr. Solarin, who was presented with a copy of the Ebony issue in question. On discovery that it did not contain any allegation regarding the corrupt state of Nigeria's current leaders, Dr. Solarin was released. But by then over 50 innocent Nigerians had been killed in the riots that followed the unsubstantiated allegations by Tai Solarin, while universities were shut down. 

In 2014, as the country was looking forward to the 2015 general elections, it was becoming obvious that there were powerful forces that do not want the then incumbent President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan to seek reelection, but if he was to insist on fulfilling his constitutional right to seek reelection, everything under the sun must be to stop him.

Obasanjo was among those behind this plot. In one of the most irresponsible do or die mentality to stop Jonathan Obasanjo wrote an open letter to President Jonathan alleging that the president has put 1000 politicians on his watch list, while also secretly training snipers and other armed personnel as well as acquiring weapons for political purposes. He stated in the 18-page letter to President Jonathan, that snipers were being trained at the same place the late Head of State, Sani Abacha, trained his own killer squad. “Allegation of keeping over 1000 people on political watch list rather than criminal or security watch list and training snipers and other armed personnel secretly and clandestinely acquiring weapons to match for political purposes like Abacha and training them where Abacha trained his own killers, if it is true, it cannot augur well for the initiator, the government and the people of Nigeria,” Obasanjo said in the letter dated December 2. The allegations were weighty and Jonathan to get at the root of it, told the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) then under the leadership of Prof Chidi Odimkalu to investigate it. A committee was set up by the commission, but Obasanjo refused to appear before the commission to substantiate the allegations. His allegations was, therefore, an irresponsible way to play opposition against an incumbent president, because that could have set Nigeria on fire! 

Recently, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, said that repentant terrorists revealed that a serving northern governor is a Boko Haram leader. Mailafia said this on ‘Morning Crossfire’ programme on Nigeria Info Lagos 95.1FM. The former CBN deputy governor said he had a chat with two repentant terrorists who identified the northern governor. He said the terrorists and bandits were one and the same. Mailafia, who was the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress in the last election, said the terrorists moved weapons even during the lockdown caused by the COVID-19. He said, “Some of us also have our intelligence networks. I have met with some of the bandits; we have met with some of their high commanders – one or two who have repented – they have sat down with us not once, not twice. “They told us that one of the northern governors is the commander of Boko Haram in Nigeria. Boko Haram and the bandits are one and the same. They have a sophisticated network. During this lockdown their planes were moving up and down as if there was no lockdown. “They were moving ammunition, moving money, and distributing them across different parts of the country.” He added, “They are already in the South, in the rain forests of the South. They are everywhere. They told us that when they finish these rural killings, they will move to phase two. Phase two is that they will go into urban cities, going from house to house killing prominent people. I can tell you this is the game plan. “By 2022, they want to start a civil war in Nigeria. Don’t joke with what I am saying I have a PhD from Oxford University. I am a central banker, we don’t talk nonsense. I have this from the highest authority, some of the commanders of Boko Haram.” 

Following the outlandish claims and allegations by Mailafia he was invited by the Department of State Services (DSS) to substantiate it. With his tail between his legs, he withdrew his comment, stating that he got the information from a third party. His matter is still ongoing with the security agencies. 

The lessons from all these are that public intellectuals, opinion leaders and indeed all Nigerians should abhor lies, deceits and unsubstantiated allegations that could jeopardize the lives of Nigerians. Even if you have information that you can substantiate but which borders on national security, the best option is to approach the appropriate authorities to give them the information. The media is not where national security problems are solved!