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li Modu Sheriff, the former governor of
Borno State who is alleged to be funding
the violent Boko Haram militancy in the
Northeast, arrived in the state capital
today with over 200 soldiers in his convoy.
Former Governor of Borno State, Ali Modu
Sheriff
He was in town to pay a condolence visit on a
friend who lost his mother.
Mr. Sheriff ignited a political firestorm only last
week when he showed up in meetings in Chad
with President Goodluck Jonathan and his
Chadian counterpart, Idris Derby.
That revelation brought the Nigerian president
under a serious political backlash. The public
outcry forced Mr. Jonathan to declare publicly he
will not interfere with the investigation of Mr.
Sheriff by the State Security Services.
Mr. Sheriff’s foray into Maiduguri in stunning
force late following his arrival on a private jet
shocked residents who were suddenly swamped by
a massive convoy of soldiers, making many to
speculate that the Chief of Defense Staff, Alex
bade, was in town.
Mr. Sheriff made the even more astonishing
announcement to close pals that he was merely
visiting an associate, Kassim Imam, who lost his
mother a few days ago.
Analysts say Mr. Sheriff’s possession and open
demonstration of such lavish federal force and
protection reopens the question as to his real
relationship with Mr. Jonathan, and the future
of any investigation of the sponsors of Boko
Haram.
Some Maiduguri residents and political observers
expressed surprise about Mr. Sheriff’s huge
convoy in view of Mr. Jonathan’s denials. They
wondered why 200 soldiers that should be
fighting against Boko Haram, the sect Sheriff is
allegedly funding, should instead be protecting
him.
Efforts to obtain comments from presidential
spokesman Reuben Abati, who issued a statement
denying that Mr. Sheriff was in Chad with Mr.
Jonathan, met with failure.