Former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN Dr Obadiah Mailafia, yesterday declared himself the “voice of the holy martyrs” as a result of his alleged persecution by the State for standing against injustice and condemning the wanton killing of innocent people by Boko Haram terrorists.
Speaking after his release after a gruelling interrogation by the officials of the Department of States, in their Jos, Plateau office, Mailafia admitted that although he was not maltreated by the DSS officials that interrogated him, their frequent invitation to him, the third in a row after the famous interview he granted a radio station last month, amounted to persecution. He, therefore, expressed hope that this will be the last invitation from the state secrete service.
He said further: “What l said has nothing to do with politics, I only spoke as a free citizen of this country and as such, l am the voice of the thousands of the voiceless of the citizens of this country. Muslims and Christian youths have taken and accepted me as their voice. So, I am the voice of the holy martyrs, so if l perish, l perish. God help Nigeria.
”Earlier before he entered the premises of DSS, the former CBN deputy governor had said: “I am ready to perish for speaking the mind of millions of Nigerians over the incessant killings of innocent citizens going on currently in the country.
“I don’t know why I have been invited again, this is the third time that they invited me to their office and I honoured them. There have not been any instances that warrant any crisis in the country after the interview, which I granted a radio station in Lagos. Once again, they have invited me, so as a law-abiding citizen of this great country, I honourably honoured their invitation.
“Let me say that this has nothing to do with politics, I spoke in the interview as a citizen of this country who loves the people of this country. I am the voice of thousands of voiceless people. Thousands of innocent people have been killed in this country in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Southern Kaduna, Benue and Plateau State where we are today. I am the voice of the holy martyrs and if I perish, I perish.”
However, his counsel, Yakubu Bawa, added that there was no doubt that the constant invitation of Mailafia by DSS had inflicted psychological trauma on him, and expressed hope that this would be the last invitation extended to him.
