Lagos lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has threatened to drag the federal government to court if it fails to immediately order the investigation linking former governor of Borno State Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff to the deadly Islamic sect Boko Haram.

To this end, Falana is asking the government to implement the Ambassador Usman Galtimari Panel report that investigated the genesis of the insurgency in the northeast region.

The report had ordered security agencies to prosecute all the indicted sponsors of the Boko Haram sect.

It will be recalled that an international negotiator engaged by the federal government to dialogue with the Boko Haram sect, Stephen Davies, had named the former governor as one of the sponsors of the sect.

The human rights activist, who made this demand in a press statement he issued in Lagos, also warned that if the government failed to respond to his call, he would apply to the Federal High Court for a Writ of Mandamus to compel the security agencies to discharge their duties in the public’s interest.

Falana also wants Sheriff to explain the circumstances surrounding the extrajudicial killing of the sect’s former leader Mohammed Yusuf and his father-in-law Alhaji Baba Fugu Mohammed by the police in 2009.

Falana said: “Sheriff should explain to Nigerians the basis of the appointment of Alhaji Buji Foi, a Boko Haram leader as the Commissioner for Religious Affairs by his government. Alhaji Foi was made a cabinet member as a compensation to the Boko Haram sect for supporting the governor’s re-election in 2003.

“The Ambassador Usman Galtimari Panel had recommendeded that the federal government should direct the security agencies to beam their light on some politicians who sponsored, funded and used the militia groups that later metamorphosed into Boko Haram, and bring them to justice.

“The panel also found out that politicians in the country have employed the services of thugs and other groups and associations with large youth membership to intimidate their political opponents during electioneering activities.”

He further stated that the roots of terrorism, especially in Borno, Gombe, Yobe and Bauchi states, could be traced to groups or associations such as ‘ECOMOG’, ‘Yan Kalare’ and ‘Sara Suka’ which had links to prominent politicians in these states.

Falana, however, alleged that the connection of Modu Sheriff and other sponsors of the sect with the Presidency ensured that the security agencies could not implement the directives of the federal government which were handed down since May 2012.