Former Borno State Governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, publicly disowned an online report claiming he accused current Vice President Kashim Shettima of creating the Boko Haram insurgency.
In a statement released on Saturday, Sheriff described the publication as complete fabrication and a malicious attempt to mislead the public, demanding an immediate retraction and threatening legal action against those responsible for disseminating the fake news.
Sheriff governed Borno from 2003 to 2011, while Shettima, who served in the Sheriff’s cabinet, succeeded him as governor and served from 2011 to 2019. The two political figures have previously been linked, often contentiously, to debates over the early origins and escalation of insurgency during their respective tenures.
The original viral report, which Sheriff denied, quoted him saying, “It’s Not Me, It’s Shettima Who Created Boko Haram.”
Senator Sheriff issued the rebuttal in a statement from his media office, titled “A Lie Taken Too Far: Shettima, Ali Modu Sheriff Not On War Path” asserting his dedication to national stability;
The said story is a total falsehood, devoid of truth, and a deliberate attempt to sow discord within the nation’s political landscape… Senator Sheriff categorically denies ever making such a statement, and wishes to state unequivocally that at no time did he grant any interview or engage with any journalist on the said date or on any matter remotely related to the spurious claims contained in the publication – the statement reads
He condemned the report as a “dangerous piece of fake news” intended to undermine his contributions to peace in Borno State and Nigeria.
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