Security breach to top IG, management team’s meeting today
DSS operative attached to Buhari’ s nephew fired shots – Source
Olalekan Adetayo, Eniola Akinkuotu and Adelani Adepegba
The
shooting at the Presidential Villa involving Usman Shugaba , the
Aide-de -Camp to the First Lady, Mrs Aisha Buhari, and other security
agents attached to her will top the agenda of the police management team
meeting today (Monday).
The PUNCH gathered in Abuja on Sunday
that the First Lady’s security aides would face a panel that would be
set up by the leadership of the police.
It was also learnt the
affected security aides would not be restored to the wife of the
President following their involvement in an altercation with a personal
assistant and nephew of the President, Sabiu Yusuf, also known as Tunde,
last Thursday, at the Presidential Villa.
The trouble started on
Thursday night, when the President’s wife and three of her children –
Zahra, Halima and Yusuf – as well as some of her security aides, led by
Shugaba, stormed the residence of Yusuf at House 8 by the Pilot Gate of
the Presidential Villa.
They insisted that Yusuf, who had just
returned from Lagos, should proceed on self -isolation for 14 days, to
save the President and his family from the danger of COVID - 19.
Yusuf had visited his wife, who was recently delivered of a baby in Lagos.
The
situation worsened when the First Lady’s ADC, in his attempt to
apprehend Yusuf allegedly released some gunshots on the premises.
Following the gunshots, Yusuf ran away and took refuge in the nearby house of his uncle, Mamman Daura, also Buhari’s nephew.
The
IGP, a report further stated, after receiving security report at the
Presidential Villa, ordered the arrest of the ADC to the First Lady and
other security aides, who accompanied her to Yusuf’s residence.
Besides
the ADC, a chief superintendent of police, others arrested were the
escort commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Sheriff Kazeem, who
is the son of ex -IG, Hafiz Ringim, and four riot policemen who were at
the scene of the incident. The operatives are being held since Friday
morning.
One of our correspondents learnt on Sunday that the
shooting incident would top the agenda at the weekly meeting of the
police management team which would be presided over by the IG at the
force headquarters, Abuja, today (Monday).
A source in the
Presidency who confided in The PUNCH, said, “Shooting at the State House
is not permitted under any guise. It is a serious security breach that
should not have happened. And that is why the IG ordered the detention
of the officers involved . The men will face a police panel and if found
culpable, may be demoted and redeployed from the Presidential Villa.”
Explaining
the incident further, the source stated,“ The ADC, Shugaba, fired
gunshots in the air after Yusuf jumped a locked gate in a bid to escape.
Yusuf narrated the incident to Daura who informed Mr President; the
President was very furious and he complained to the IG.”
“The
truth is that the officers can ’ t go back to the villa. If they did not
lose their ranks, they would be redeployed to other formations; this
kind of incident attracts demotion and serious reprimand,” an official
noted.
The Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, could
not be reached for comments as he did not respond to calls. He had yet
to reply an SMS as of the time of filing this report.
One of our correspondents further gathered that Shugaba started working with the First Lady about three months ago.
Findings
indicated that Shugaba was the Chief Security Officer to the Kogi State
Governor, Yahaya Bello, before he was redeployed to the Villa as ADC to
Aisha .
The PUNCH learnt that Shugaba had denied firing the shots, insisting that the shooting was done by a DSS official.
‘Tunde’s security aide, not first lady’s ADC, fired shot’
A
top aide to the first lady, however, told The PUNCH that the gunshots
that were fired last Thursday emanated from the gun of one of Yusuf’s
security aides.
He said it was unfortunate that the police,
acting under the instruction of Buhari’ s nephew, Mamman Daura, had
decided to take sides with Yusuf (Tunde) and feed lies to the public.
The
aide, who wished to remain anonymous said, “Madam (Aisha) never asked
her aides to shoot Yusuf. It was Yusuf’s security men that were shooting
into the air when madam’s ADC attempted to remove him from the Villa.
“If
the police investigate thoroughly , they will discover that the bullets
came from the gun of one of Yusuf’ s security aides. Unfortunately, the
public is being fed with lies. The police IG is also bowing to pressure
from Mamman Daura who is the brother to Tunde’s late mum.
“Also,
Yusuf met with Maikanti Baru, the former GMD of NNPC that died of
Covid- 19. Tunde’s wife is pregnant but it is not true that he went to
visit his wife. He went to visit Baru and that is why we said he should
self - isolate.”
Why First Lady has not been speaking –Aide
Meanwhile, Aisha’s Spokesman, Aliyu Abdullahi, has said the first lady ’s aides are still in police custody.
Abdullahi said this on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme on Sunday.
The
spokesman, however, dodged several other questions, insisting that the
President had already ordered an investigation into the matter.
He also said he was not sure if any of Tunde’s aides had been arrested.
When
asked if the aides of the First Lady were still in the custody of the
police, the spokesperson said, “In my opinion, I think they are still in
the custody of the police . I know her ADC head, escort commander,
police attached to her office are in the custody of the police.”
Responding
to questions on why Aisha had not been speaking up for the release of
her aides, he said, “She always speaks out publicly. The reason she has
stopped speaking out now is that whenever she speaks, people misconstrue
or take her statement out of context. But she always means well for the
country so that she and her children can have a bright future even
after this administration is over.”
The First Lady had protested
the detention of her security aides and called on the IG to release them
in a series of tweets on her Twitter handle last Friday.
Aisha also admonished relevant government agencies to enforce the Quarantine Act signed by the President.
“I
call on the IGP to release my members of staff who are still in the
custody of the police in order to avoid putting their lives in danger or
exposure to COVID - 19 while in their custody.”
Let the law take its course , Buhari tells police
Meanwhile,
the President on Sunday said the law should be allowed to take its
course on the shooting incident involving the security aides attached to
his wife, Aisha, inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday
night.
Buhari, in a statement on Sunday by his Senior Special
Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said where armed guards
come short in the handling of weapons, their relevant agencies have
their rules and regulations to address them.
Overruling his wife’s call for the release of the security details, the President insisted that the law should take its course.
The
statement read, “The Presidency wishes to acknowledge concerns
expressed by several members of the public regarding the recent incident
among the occupants of the State House which escalation led to the
arrest of some staff by the police.
“This is to assure all and
everyone that the President and Commander -in- Chief of the Armed
Forces, Muhammadu Buhari, is not, and was not at anytime in any form of
danger arising, either from deadly infections or the reported incident
by security personnel which is currently under investigation.
“This particular incident happened outside the main residence of the President .
“Armed
guards and other security personnel assigned to the State House receive
the necessary training of especially weapons handling and where they
come short, their relevant agencies have their rules and regulations to
immediately address them.
“Having authorised the proper
investigation to be carried out into this unfortunate incident by the
police, the President has acted in compliance with the rule of law.
“That
a minor occurrence is being used by some critics to justify attacks on
the government and the person of President Muhammadu Buhari beggars
belief.
“In this particular instance, the President says the law should be allowed to take its course.”
https://chidexmikky.blogspot.com/2020/06/aso-rock-gunshots-aisha-buharis-adc.html
|
|
Comments
Post a Comment