Governor Shettima disowns fake Boko Haram members

The Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, has dissociated himself from the alleged fake Boko Haram members including Alhaji Junaid Idrissa Khadi.

The suspects were paraded by the Department of State Service on Tuesday in Abuja.


Shettima said, if there was anyone who knew Khadi very well, it was his former boss, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, who not only appointed Khadi as Special Adviser, but also recommended him for appointment.

Shettima’s position was sent to our correspondent, via electronic mail, in Abuja, on Wednesday.

The governor said, Khadi was first appointed by Ex-Governor Ali Modu Sheriff in 2010, as a Special Adviser, without a clearly defined portfolio, before he was foisted on him (Shettima) by Sheriff, in 2013, two years after he was elected.

According to him, since he parted ways with the former governor, Khadi and those foisted on him by his former boss left his cabinet.

The governor dissolved his cabinet about four months ago to remove appointees of his former boss to pave way for him to choose his own team.

That was the first time he was embarking on a total overhaul of his cabinet since 2011 when he first came in.

Speaking through his immediate past Director of Press, Malam Isa Gusau, the governor said he was compelled to respond to enquiries from the media after Alhaji Junaid Idrissa Khadi was on Tuesday paraded by a security agency.

Khadi was paraded on Tuesday, as an aide to the governor.

Governor Shettima expects that the security agency concerned will accord the fairest hearing to Khadi as it should to every other Nigerian arrested for whatever reason.

The Governor equally expects that anyone found guilty of committing any crime that goes against the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and other existing laws be made to face the full wrath of the law after a competent court pronounces him guilty with no iota of doubt.

He also said the governor, who is an advocate of the rule of law and committed to the welfare of all good citizens of Borno State, urged leaders to always strive to protect the Nigerian constitution which they pledged under oath to defend.