The pan-Northern socio-political organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum, has described as ‘shocking’ the death of a former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, who died on Sunday.

The apex northern body said that Mailafia contributed immensely to the development of Kaduna State and the North in general.

A statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, Emmanuel Yawe, in Kaduna on Sunday, titled, ‘ACF sad over Dr. Mailafia’s death,’ states, “The news about Dr. Obadiah Mailafia’s death this morning reached our national secretariat in Kaduna today.

“We are, therefore, today thrown into another mourning mood. We mourn this distinguished northerner from Kaduna State who has contributed his quota to the development of his state and the North.

“We mourn the distinguished northern intellectual who obtained a PhD from Oxford University

“We mourn a financial wizard who rose up to the rank of Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria in the banking sector of our economy.

“While he was alive, Dr. Mailafia held unto his views strongly. He may have offended some people who disagreed with him.

“We urge all those he offended to forgive him for that is the beauty of democracy, which gives every man the right to hold and state his views.

“We sympathise with his immediate family, the Kaduna government and the Central Bank of Nigeria over his untimely demise.”