Vice President, Kashim Shettima (left), with Ali Modu Sheriff
Former Borno State Governor, Senator Ali-Modu Sheriff, has denied a viral publication claiming that he accused Vice President Kashim Shettima of creating Boko Haram. Sheriff described the report as false, malicious, and politically motivated to cause division in the North-East.
NewsBits learnt that the former governor, who once governed Borno State, said to be the epicentre of the Boko Haram conflict, has often been mentioned in discussions on the early genesis of the insurgency.
In a statement issued by his media office in Abuja, titled “A Lie Taken Too Far: Shettima, Ali Modu Sheriff Not On War Path,” Sheriff said he never granted any interview or made any comment suggesting that Shettima founded the terrorist group.
“The attention of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff has been drawn to a false and malicious publication circulating online under the headline ‘It’s Not Me, It’s Shettima Who Created Boko Haram – Sheriff Reveals’.
“The story is a complete fabrication and a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and malign the person of Senator Sheriff. At no time did he speak to any journalist or make any statement related to the spurious claims in the publication,” he said.
Sheriff condemned the report as a dangerous piece of fake news aimed at discrediting his contributions to peace and development in Borno State. He urged the public and media organisations to disregard the publication.
He also disclosed that his legal team had been directed to identify those behind the false report and take appropriate legal action if the story is not retracted.
The clarification came amid renewed debate on the insurgency, following comments by former Nigerian Army spokesman, Brigadier General Sani Usman (retd.), who said the military fought not only Boko Haram on the battlefield but also disinformation during the height of the conflict.
