Human rights activist and a co-convener of the BringBackOurGirls movement, Aisha Yesufu, has taunted the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, for not using his “expert knowledge” to tackle Abubakar Shekau and the Kankara school abductors like he did during the recent EndSARS movement.
Shekau is a factional leader of the Boko Haram terrorists who claimed responsibility for last Friday’s abduction of over 300 schoolboys of Government Secondary School, Kankara in Katsina State.
The schoolboys were later freed on Wednesday evening, after a reported negotiation between the bandits and the Miyetti Allah, and a disputed payment of ransom.
Yesufu, in a series of tweets, scolded the CBN Governor for deploying his knowledge during the recent EndSARS movement and blocking the bank accounts of protesters who were alleged to be fostering insecurity but chose to remain silent during the insecurity engendered by Shekau and the Katsina abductors.
“Where was Emiefele’s expert knowledge on terrorism when #KankaraBoys were abducted? How come we did not hear Emefiele’s voice the way we did during #EndSARS protests? When will Emefiele call out Shekau for terrorism?
“How come the State Security Service, also known as DSS, did not intercept intelligence on the Kankara abduction? Where is the might they bring to those holding the government to account? Where is the might they used against protesters?” Yesufu asked.
“Miyetti Allah negotiated with terrorists on behalf of the government. In what capacity? Is Miyetti Allah a trained negotiating organisation or a fellow terror organisation with access? What the heck is going on in Nigeria? How are we comfortable with a supposed ethnic group being the one negotiating with terrorists on behalf of the government?” she further queried.
ON November 11, the CBN had approached a Federal High Court in Abuja to freeze the accounts of 20 #EndSARS campaigners, saying the funds in their accounts might have been linked to terrorist activities.
The CBN had, in the second week of October, frozen 20 accounts and thereafter approached the court to seek an ex parte order to freeze the accounts.
In the case with suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1384/2020, filed before Justice A. R. Mohammed, the CBN, however, made no mention of the fact that the 20 accounts were owned by persons involved in the #EndSARS protests, but told the court that the funds might have emanated from terrorist activities.
On December 2, the CBN pleaded with the court again to allow it to keep freezing the accounts.
Where was Emiefele’s expert knowledge on terrorism when #KankaraBoys were abducted? How come we did not hear Emefiele’s voice the way we did during #EndSARS protests? When will Emefiele call out Shekau for terrorism?https://t.co/OrPjHvhAdj
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) December 18, 2020
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
