A former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Deputy Governor, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, has declared that he will never support or promote violence but will continue to condemn the ongoing killings in Southern Kaduna and other parts of the country.
He spoke on Wednesday, shortly after he was released from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), where he was questioned for more than six hours.
Malafia, who was the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress during the 2019 general election, was on Tuesday questioned by DSS officials in Jos, Plateau State, in connection with comments he reportedly made to the effect that repentant Boko Haram terrorists hinted that a serving governor was the leader of the terrorist group.
The former CBN deputy governor was released after Reverend Gideon Para Mallam presented himself as his surety.
The ex- CBN Chief, after his release, thanked his supporters, family, friends and the media for their support, saying he will continue to condemn evil.
He said: “Since yesterday there has been a lot of support voluntarily from the media, I want to thank them for their courage.
“If I had retracted anything, I don’t think I would have been able to leave this place because the youths of this country are fed up, all these killings have made people fed up.
“Those who tolerate it are committing great evil, we must remain steadfast, I love Nigeria, we must love our country”, he told Channels TV.
Malafia declared he does not support or promote violence and will never support evil.
“We must seek the progress of our country, we must work for peace, my name means peace, I am a servant of the people, I don’t use violence and do not promote the use of violence”, he said.
During his interrogation, a protest was held outside the DSS premises, demanding his immediate release. The protesters also called for an end to the killings in Southern Kaduna and other parts of the country.
Malafia, had during a radio programme on Monday, reportedly said repentant Boko Haram members disclosed that a serving northern governor was a leader of the terrorist group.
Mailafia was also reported to have linked bandits terrorising Southern Kaduna and elsewhere to the terrorists, who he said freely moved weapons across the country even during the COVID-19- lockdown.