Nigeria’s secret police, the State Security Service, on Friday interrogated Junaid Mohammed, a staunch critic of President Goodluck Jonathan and the Federal Government, over inciting comments credited to him.
The politician was reportedly summoned to the SSS headquarters in Abuja, where he was quizzed for several hours over comments credited to him suggesting there would be violence should President Jonathan stands for reelection.
A source in the SSS claimed Mr. Junaid told investigators he was misquoted out of context and that he would not do anything to undermine the peace and security of his own country.
Our source said he was cautioned and then released after he gave an undertaken to refrain from making incendiary comments in future.
Contacted by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr. Junaid confirmed the SSS “invited” him for a chat and that he was released shortly thereafter.
“It is all over,” he said in a telephone interview. “They (SSS operatives) were professional in their dealing with me. I can see they are a bunch of educated people who are equally concerned about this country.”
Mr. Mohammed, a social critic and second republic parliamentarian, is known for divisive and incendiary remarks.
Recently, he was quoted to have said “blood would flow on the streets of Nigeria should President Jonathan insist on running for the Presidency in 2015.”
In early 2012, he gave a controversial interview where he said the North of Nigeria was ready to break up and go its separate way.
After his “blood would flow” remark, Abuja-based lawyer, Kayode Ajulo, released a statement calling on the Inspector General of Police and director of the State Security Services to arrest Mr. Mohammed.
“I, as a law abiding citizen and one who has great hope for the future of this great nation, therefore, use this medium to call on the Inspector General of Police, the Director State Security Service and other security agencies of Government to look into the underlying messages being passed across to insurgents by these individuals particularly the recent one made by Dr. Junaid Mohammed, ” Mr. Ajulo had said.
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