Civil liberties group, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has warned Nigerian security agents to desist from what it describes as "unnecessary harassment" of citizen Dr Obadiah Mailafia, a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

HURIWA, in a public statement by its National Coordinator, Mr. Emmanuel Onwubiko, and Media Director, Ms Zainab Yusuf, asked the Inspector General of Police and other relevant security agencies to instead act on the information revealed by Mailafia during an interview he granted Nigerian Info radio station on August 10, 2020 wherein he alleged that certain repented terrorists had told him that a certain Northern Governor is the commander of Boko Haram.

The interview had led to widespread discussions in the media both within and outside Nigeria.

The Department of State Security (DSS) had on August 12 issued an invitation to Dr Mailafia to report to their Jos (Plateau) Area office the next day being August 13 for a meeting that eventually saw the ex-CBN banker interrogated for six hours before he was released on bail.

On August 16, the DSS issued another invitation to Mailafia who reported at the Jos Area office of the DSS on August 17. The meeting lasted for approximately 40 minutes and the Oxford-trained Economist was released.

On the August 22 the Nigerian Police which should be working hand in hand with the DSS issued another invitation to Mailafia via the office of a DIG Force CID to report to the force Headquarters Abuja on August 24 for another round of interrogations.

Even though Mailafia didn't honor the police invitation after his lawyers obtained a court injunction, HURIWA is worried that the invitation by the police amount to harassment and violation of the rights of Mailafia considering the fact that the DSS, a federal intelligence service, is already investigating the issue.

HURIWA therefore called on the IGP to stop any further invitation to the Sango-born Economist cum banker and allow the DSS continue with their investigation.

HURIWA also called on the police and other relevant security agencies in the country to dig deeper using the information provided by Mailafia to unravel the Governor and any other persons involved with the terrorists who have continued to wreak havoc across the country.

HURIWA also expressed concern that while no single terrorist has even been prosecuted and convicted for terrorism under this administration, law abiding citizens who speak against the activities of these terrorists and government’s lackadaisical handling of the situation are hunted down for arrest and sometimes incarceration.

The rights advocacy group also called on the Nigerian government to protect Dr Mailafia from threats and persecution.

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