Dr Obadiah Mailafia, a Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, who was invited by the Department of State Services has been released after six hours of grilling.
Mailafia was invited for questioning over allegations he made against some governor of Northern extraction on the security situation in the country.
Malaifiya, who reported to the Jos office of the DSS at about 12:48 pm, was accompanied by his lawyers, Pius Akubo (SAN) and Yakubu Bawa.
The former CBN Deputy Governor thanked his family members, the media for their support, adding that he didn’t regret the comments he made.
He said he was treated professionally by the DSS, adding that a section of the 55 minutes interview was lifted, leaving the context in which he made the statement.
“We had a lively and intense interview over a radio interview I granted. That interview which was meant for an FM radio station, some just picked the clip, a small section of the 55 minutes broadcast and put it on social media and it went very very far all over the country, raising a lot of concerns.
“What I want to say is that, yes, all of those words were made by me, you know if the whole of the 55 minutes was played out, the context of what I said in a small clip that went viral would have become clearer.
“This is not the time to disown what I said. Yes, I was privy to some very sensitive information which all statesmen are entitled to have by virtue of our public roles. I know that I should have taken more care to corroborate some of the information I received, but perhaps some of it was uncorroborated. I was in no position to follow them to the camp to corroborate what was going on.
“But I am not a sensationalist, I am an economist and a central banker, by nature we are not given to sensation.”
“Let me make it clear, I am a humanist, I am a man of peace. Even my name Mailafiya means a man of peace. From the bottom of my heart, I love our country daily and I abhor all the killings and violence which the innocent people of this country have been subjected to.
“I pray that Nigeria will never experience another civil war. I also pray that the killings will stop in Zamfara, Daura, in Katsina, in Birnin Gwari, in my beloved Southern Kaduna, in the whole of the middle belt, in Borno, Adamawa and other places.
“The most elementary duty of government is to protect its citizens. When a government fails to protect its citizens, to protect little children that is a serious matter. Let also said that any innocent boy or girl that is killed is my own child.
“I love Nigeria. Like Mandela, let me say if need be, I am prepared to give my life for Nigeria. Let us join hand together to build a new country, let us work together to safe our country and I pray that all of us will do our part to maintain the peace and make sure that our country make progress.
“I want to thank the officials of the State Department, they have done a tremendous job, they treated me professionally, I have not been rough-handled and they have been very very fair and gracious to me.”
