THE State Security Service (SSS) has confirmed the arrest of a suspected member of the Boko Haram, the sect accused of using high calibre bombs and other weapons of mass destruction to terrorise residents of Borno and Gombe states in the north eastern part of the country and Abuja. .
The security agency said that the suspect, Ali Sanda Umar Konduga, the spokesman of the sect, also known as Al-Zawahiri, was arrested three weeks ago by a joint security operation at Gwange area of Borno State. .
Parading the suspect at its headquarters in Abuja yesterday, the SSS Deputy Director of Public Relations, Marilyn Ogar, said that the agency, in the course of its investigations, established that some of the Boko Haram extremists allegedly enjoyed patronage from some high networth individuals, including members of the National Assembly. .
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Ogar, however, declined to mention the name of the lawmaker said to hail from Borno State. She also parried questions on whether the Service had begun move to invite the parliamentarian for interrogations.
Her words: “His (Al-Zawahiri) further confirms the Service position that some of the Boko Haram extremists have political patronage and sponsorship. This is more so as Al-Zawahiri has so far made valuable confessions in this regard.”
The SSS spokeswoman said an analysis of Al- Zawahiri spokesman’s phone has confirmed constant communication between him and the legislator.
According to her, the suspect was behind the threat text messages sent to Governor Sule Lamido, Governor Babangida Aliyu, Ambassador Dalhatu Sarki Tafida, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Justice Sabo Adamu (Chairman of the election petition tribunal in Borno State).
Other confessional statements made by the suspect, according to Ogar, were “that he was behind the threat text messages sent to the judges of the Election Petition Tribunal in Maiduguri. His objective was to ensure that the tribunal sacks the present government in Borno State.
“That most of the threat messages he sent to Justice Sabo Adamu were scripted and relayed to him by the National Assembly member.
“That the threat messages eventually led to the relocation of the election petition tribunal from Maiduguri to Abuja.
“That the same legislator promised to send him some telephone numbers of members of the Galtimari committee on security in the North-East, before he (Konduga) was apprehended.
“That the telephone number and content of the text message sent to the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice were also given to him by the legislator in order to compel him (AGF) to influence the judgment of the tribunal against the government of Borno State.
“That one of his benefactors promised to pay him N10 million to work for his party but by stint of fate, he died on his way to deliver the part-payment of N5 million to Al-Zawahiri.”
Ogar disclosed that consequent upon this, the suspect claimed that the political party stalwart and member of the National Assembly from Maiduguri took over the running of his activities.
“That the pseudo name, Usman Al-Zawahiri, was given to him by the said politician to portray him as an extremist as well as conceal his true identity.
The suspect (Al-Zawahiri), while fielding questions from journalists at the SSS headquarters said though the group was not an affiliate of the PDP, it does not welcome the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) government in Borno State.
He said that the group will only welcome and jaw-jaw with other political parties, including the CPC, APGA and PDP in any reconciliatory move by the authorities.
He claimed to be the lone spokesman for Boko Haram at inception before the members were dislodged and scattered. But when they regrouped, three persons, Abu Kaka, Abu Zaid and Abu Dada, emerged as the legitimate members of the Boko Haram sect recognised to speak on behalf of the group.
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