Boko Haram chief’s arrest:SSS to quiz Senator today

[DT]

Bama found at ex-gov's home — Zanna

 

Senator Ahmed Zanna is scheduled to appear before operatives of the State Security Service today to answer questions over allegations that a top Boko Haram commander was found at his home in Maiduguri on Thursday.  

The SSS invitation to Zanna (PDP, Borno Central) came as he insisted yesterday that the arrested sect member, Shuaibu Mohammed Bama, was not found in his house but in the house of a former Borno State governor.

On Friday, the Joint Task Force announced that they captured Bama at the home of a serving senator along Damboa Road in Maiduguri without naming the senator. Zanna happens to be the only serving senator whose home is along that road.

But Zanna told journalists in Abuja yesterday that the JTF operatives were only trying to frame him up because he recently criticised them over disregard for rules of engagement.

"This morning (yesterday), I saw a text that the SSS DG will want to see me on Monday (today)...I will honour the invitation," Zanna said, adding he does not know what will happen when he sees the SSS boss Ita Ekpeyong.

When Daily Trust contacted SSS spokesperson Marilyn Ogar last night, she said she was not aware of the invitation.

Zanna will be the second serving senator to be quizzed by the SSS over links with Boko Haram after Senator Mohammed Ndume, who is now standing trial over alleged sponsorship of the sect which he denied.

'Ex-gov's home, not my home'

Giving his account of the JTF raid on his house, Zanna yesterday said soldiers searched his home on Thursday and rounded up some boys found there, before proceeding to the ex-governor's home along Rabi Road, off Damboa Road, in Maiduguri where they arrested Bama.

"On Thursday, they (JTF) went to my house. I was in Warri at that time; I went for an oversight function. My wife called me, she said the army people were at our gate. Actually, they went with four armoured vehicles and about 40 of them came to my house," he said.

"They searched all the rooms and when they went to the children's room, they broke all their cabinets and searched everywhere. When they could not find anything, then they assembled all the boys, took them out and put them under the scorching sun. Actually, before doing that they beat them up, we had to take them to hospital later.

"Under this traumatising condition, they now asked them whether they know one Shuaibu Bama. They said of course they know when they see him.

"One of them was asked to go and show them where he is living. As they were going, when they were about to reach the house, they stopped. In fact, they blindfolded the boy. And one of the officers asked one of the personnel to come down so that they should follow him to the house without the boy telling them where the house is.

"So, as they started going, the other officer asked him: If you know the house, then why should we pick this boy? And after some arguments, they went to the house and arrested the boy (Bama).

"Contrary to the claim of the JTF, the boy was arrested in Rabi Street, off Damboa Road. And the house belongs to (a former governor)." Attempts to speak with the former governor named by Zanna failed as he could not be reached by telephone and his former aides were not willing to speak on his behalf.

Zanna alleged that he was being framed up by JTF because of his recent BBC interview in which he criticised soldiers operating in Maiduguri and called for their withdrawal.

"This story emanating from the JTF is actually as a result of an interview which I carried out in BBC last week asking for their withdrawal from the state because they are not working according to the rules of engagement," he said.

"I noticed that they are just killing innocent people, killing them unnecessarily, harassing their families, extorting money. All these have been going on and I became so concerned. Particularly, the killing and burning of houses became an order of the day.

"At least 300 houses were burnt within the last one and a half months, and it will not be an exaggeration for me to say that up to 500 people were being killed by the bullets of the JTF.

"I called for their withdrawal because even Boko Haram cannot do more than that. If they have come to protect us, they are not supposed to eliminate our young ones. Most of the people affected are young ones.

"According to the information I got yesterday, they have started even killing old men. Somebody who was about 70 years old was even killed. He was sitting down listening to a radio and a JTF man came and he said: 'Baba come'. So, they just took him to a certain distance and shot him. This is the type of things happening. So, my people are helpless. This warranted me to react."

When Daily Trust asked JTF spokesman Lt-Col. Sagir Musa to react to Zanna's accusations last night, he said he would not make any comments.

But JTF has consistently denied any extrajudicial killing or deliberate destruction of people's property in Maiduguri.

Zanna yesterday restated that he knows Bama but had nothing to do with him because he is a drug addict.

"Yes, he is my sister's son," he said. "As for his behaviour, he is a drug addict. He beats up my children, he abuses my friends. He came to my house, so I sent him away. That was about almost a year ago. And for whatever reason I don't know, he came to my house last week and I told my wife that he should leave the house.

"Some time ago, he even threatened to kill his mother. So, the mother was not even feeling comfortable living with him. And she narrated that to me. That is why I also do not want him to be near me."

Asked if he knew Bama to be a Boko Haram member, Zanna said, "I don't know him to be a Boko Haram member. Never, never, I do not know him to be a member of Boko Haram."

Daily Trust

[KingFemzee]

White lies, you have been caught red handed and will pay for your evil deeds.

[Nifemi Donald]

hmmm....the truth will soon be known