SSS summons Senator Ahmed Khalifa Zanna over his link to Boko Haram's top commander

The State Security Service (SSS) on Sunday invited Senator Ahmed Khalifa Zanna from Borno State in connection with the arrest of a suspected Boko Haram Commander, Shuaib Mohammed Bama.

The Joint Task Force, JTF, had on Thursday announced the arrest of Mr. Bama in Maiduguri, the Borno capital, describing him as “a high profile Boko Haram Commander who has been on the list of wanted terrorists operating between Bama and Maiduguri.”

The security agency later linked him to “a serving senator’s house along Damboa Road, GRA Maiduguri.”

Zanna, who represents Borno-Central Senatorial District, confirmed the summons to newsmen on Sunday. He admitted being aware of a text message from the Director-General of the SSS, Mr. Ekpenyong Ita, inviting him to the SSS headquarters on Monday (today).

Zanna stated that since the incident occurred he had not been contacted by security agencies until Sunday.

“Since my house was searched and the JTF made the announcement, I have not been contacted by security agencies. “But it was only this morning (Sunday), I saw a text that the SSS DG will want to see me on Monday. I will honour the invitation”, he said.

The senator denied that Bama had any links with the sect, though he admitted that he was his sister’s son.

He described Bama as a “drug addict”, who frequently threatened to kill members of his family. He claimed that due to his behaviour, he had to send him out of his house, but could not explain how he found his way back to his house last week.

The senator also claimed that Bama was arrested in the house of a former governor of the state, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, contrary to the report by the JTF.

When asked why the JTF linked Bama with him instead of Sheriff, the senator responded that it was a frame-up to pay him back for constantly attacking the JTF in the media.

He said, “Contrary to the claim of the JTF, the boy was arrested in Rabi Street, off Damboa Road. And the house belongs to Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.

“Before, the house belonged to one Abba Mala, a Cameroonian. And later he sold it to the late Tijjani Banki and Sheriff bought from Tijjani Banki.

“I reacted because they said they arrested the boy in the house of a serving Senator along Damboa Road and I am the one living along Damboa road.

“I really do not understand why they did all this. I am confused. If they want to frame me up, they have failed in that one because they did not get that boy in my house.

“I have nothing to do with it. Let them go and ask the person where the boy was staying. So, they should not have mentioned my house.

“Yes, he is my sister’s son. As for his behaviour, he is a drug addict. He beats up my children, he abuses my friends.

“He came to my house, so I sent him away. That was about almost a year ago. And for whatever reason I don’t know, he came to my house last week and I told my wife that he should leave the house.”