The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), says the sudden death of Obadiah Mailafiya, a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), is a huge loss to Nigerian.
The union also expressed foul play in Mailafiya’s death and demanded for a thorough independent forensic analysis to determine the cause.
Mailafiya died on Sunday in Abuja, following a brief illness.
In a statement on Sunday, Luka Binniyat, spokesman of the union said before Mailafiya’s “curious and sudden demise,” he was persistent in accusing “powerful persons” in power of plotting to eliminate him permanently.
Binniyat said people like Mailafiya are not common in any generation.
He added that Mailafiya did not only loved Southern Kaduna, the Middle Belt and all other suppressed persons in Nigeria, but he was a global citizen.
The statement said, “The death of Dr. Mailafiya is a sad, huge lose not only to Southern Kaduna and Nigeria, but to the global community.
“The kinds of Mailafiya are not common to find in any generation. He was not only one who loved Southern Kaduna, the Middle Belt and all other suppressed persons in Nigeria, he was a global citizen.
“He was so accomplished in his field that his services were sought after world-wide as his biography reveals.”
Binniyat said, “Before his curious and sudden demise, Dr Mailafiya had been persistent in accusing ‘powerful persons’ in power of plotting to eliminate him permanently.
“In fact he had been in hiding when his harassment from the secret police became too persistent.”
The statement said further that, “A select officials had visited him sometimes last year at his abode where a friendly governor had given him a safe place to stay complete with security.
“For a person of interest to Nigerian government to arrive at a government hospital, just to be declared dead after a few hours, sure smacks of foul play.
“SOKAPU demands for a thorough independent forensic analysis of their son.
“We pray that God will console his wife and children and all the people that love him”.
