… Senator Zannah Says Detained Nephew Is A Drug Addict
Senator representing Borno State, Senator Ahmed Zannah and a former Governor of the state, Ali Modu-Sheriff Monday threw jabs and punches at each other following the arrest and detention of one of the most wanted kingpins of the Boko Haram terror group.
The military said it arrested Shuaibu Muhammed Bama last week at the Damboa Road Maiduguri residence of Senator Zannah.
Addressing journalists in Abuja Monday, Senator Zannah, who was questioned today by the SSS confirmed that Bama is his nephew but denied that he was arrested in his residence and accused the military of witch-hunt.
But Sheriff, who is also the Chairman of All Nigeria People's Party’s (ANPP) Board of Trustees (BOT), has warned Zannah against bringing him into his ordeal over the Boko Haram saga, insisting that "Borno PDP is the engine room behind Boko Haram."
The embattled Borno Central senator said he knew his nephew was addicted to drug use and often behaved badly but denied that he belonged to the Boko Haram and blamed Sheriff for being behind his travails.
He noted that his witch-hunt at the hands of the JTF came barely days after he criticized them over the extra judicial killings in the state and called for their withdrawal from the state.
He said, "I am not surprised. What I am saying is that I don't know him to be a member of Boko Haram, therefore I cannot accept. I know him to be of a bad character and a drug addict.
“I was never told they were looking for him, I was never contacted by anyone. I saw him last six months ago. He lives around that area, although for the last three months, I have not gone home because I went on an operation outside the country," he said.
Recall that last year another serving senator (Mohammed Ali Ndume) was detained and charged over links to the Boko Haram fuelling claims by top officials of the Jonathan administration that northern politicians are using the terrorist group to discredit this government.
Zannah further blamed his travail on his defeat of Sheriff at the poll last year.
"As you all know, I represent the Borno Central Senatorial District in the Senate. My historic defeat of the former Governor of Borno State, in the person of Ali Modu Sheriff at the polls has not and will not go down well with many forces and individuals in this country for some time to come. Therefore, this latest campaign by the Military Joint Task Force in Borno State to disseminate falsehood against me, that is to say that, even though, they arrested Shuaibu Bama at Ali Modu Sheriff's house, they chose to tell the world that they arrested him in my house, is part of the campaign to rope me in to the JTF dragnet, declare me a Boko Haram member, financier, sympathizer, harbourer or even activist and declare my seat vacant, all to pave way for Ali Modu Sheriff to by hook or crook come to the Senate! No more No less.
"Brute force no matter how brutally it is used cannot, I repeat, cannot alter what Allah has decided! I think so, the JTF takes more directive from him than anybody in this country. This is what I have seen because whenever he comes to Maiduguri, the paraphernalia that they use to welcome him cannot be done even to the president.
He also agreed that there is link between politics and Boko Haram saying "yes, of course the spread of Boko Haram is as a result of mixing politics with the security of this country. And that is the reason why until today they are not able to counter this insurgency.
"All that is happening is not exposed to you. For instance, the JTF about three days ago went and killed 15 boys playing football. They just shot all of them and everybody ran away. They took them to the mortuary. So the JTF is holding this against me because I am exposing them. We have been quiet for some time. We have to speak up, people are being killed unnecessarily."
Meanwhile, THEWILL can however report that Senator Zannah’s denial is coming after earlier admitting to the foreign press that Bama was detained in his home.
In Maiduguri today, the Special Assistant to Sheriff, Comrade Umar Duhu accused Zannah of tainting his reputation.
He said, "It is on record that shortly after the JTF announcement, Senator Ahmed Zannah who represents Borno Central came out publicly in a BBC Hausa service interview to own up that he is the only senator whose house is along Damboa road; he also went ahead to admit that the arrested suspected is his nephew and lives with him in his house.
"It is also on record that the State Security Service has invited Senator Zannah to clarify his involvement with the suspect and his links with Boko Haram.
"Senator Zannah in a comic u-turn, shortly after these developments, told journalists in a face-saving interview that while he could not deny his relationship with his nephew, he disowned his house where the JTF arrested the suspect, stressing that the house belongs to Senator Ali Modu sheriff the immediate former governor of the state."
"Given his recent political encounter with the immediate past governor, now the BOT chairman of ANPP, Senator Ali Modu sheriff, he appears desperate to settle scores by dragging Ali Sheriff into the controversy."
"It is laughable that instead of defending his obvious involvement with Boko Haram, given his past antecedence where people finger him as illegal importer of arms via his Hajj-by-road fame, Senator Zannah is desperately looking for somebody to hang for his sins. It is common knowledge in Borno state that Senator Zannah takes along some hapless Nigerians on a seeming religious voyage by road only to put some of them into terrorist activity and illegal arms importation. Some of the so-called pilgrims by road have been traced to terrorists’ camps in Afghanistan and Syria, and not Saudi Arabia, their preferred destination. It is very much on record that 27 of such pilgrims are still missing up till date.
"Senator Zannah’s inconsistencies in trying to defend himself are clear indication of a sinking man’s desperate attempt to hang himself on anything available in order to save his neck. If not so, what would his nephew be doing in the so-called house of Senator Ali Sheriff, the man he said is his political rival?
"Contrary to his (Zannah) claims in the media that he had parted ways with the suspect, we can authoritatively confirm that his nephew, Shuaibu, was still his associate up to the time of his arrest."
Comrade Umar also wondered why Zannah has never condemned the Boko Haram for all its atrocities but was quick to call for the disbandment of the JTF in the state.
"Again being the second senator fingered, as having links with Boko Haram, it is a confirmation of the wildly believed theory that the PDP in Borno state is the engine room behind Boko Haram.
"At his age and with the position he holds as a senator of the Federal Republic we felt it is the height of un-patriotism and irresponsibility for Senator Ahmed Zannah to not only fuel the crisis in Borno, but to attempt to drag the names of descent citizens, like Ali Sheriff in the mud."
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