By Sonnie Ekwowusi
In his characteristic outburst, the Federal Attorney-General Abubakar Malami (SAN) last Friday alleged that the major financier and abettor of Oduduwa Republic agitator Sunday Igboho is a member of the National Assembly. He also claimed that the Federal government has unmasked the financiers and abettors of Biafra agitator Nnamdi Kanu. He specifically alleged that individuals, groups as well as State and non-State actors both within and outside Nigeria are aiding and abetting Kanu in his activities.
You will recall that in his last Independence Day Anniversary broadcast, President Buhari alleged that an unnamed serving member of the National Assembly was among the high profile sponsor of secessionism and terrorism in Nigeria. But in his reaction on the floor of the House of Representatives, Ben Roland Igbakpa (PDP, Delta), regretted that the President’s blanket accusation had breached his privilege as a lawmaker. He also stated that the unassailable deduction from President Buhari’s accusation is that the 469 members of the National Assembly are either criminals or terrorists. For example, he narrated how he was arrested and detained at the Ghana Airport for four hours on suspicion that he was a Nigerian lawmaker-turned terrorist visiting Kenya to unleash his terrorism. He regretted that consequent to his said arrest and detention at the Ghana Airport he missed the wedding which he travelled to Ghana to attend. When he demanded to know from the State security agents detaining him the reason for his arrest and detention, the agents said to him, “sorry sir there’s an announcement in Nigeria that a member of parliament is sponsoring terrorism and we are put on red alert to ensure that no member of parliament comes here to hide or cause trouble”. After listening to Hon. Igbakpa, the House of Representatives urged President Buhari to disclose the name of the alleged terrorism sponsor in the National Assembly failure for which the House will invoke the Constitution to compel the President to do so. The House also unanimously mandated the House leadership to meet with their counterparts in the Senate and fix an appointment with President Buhari, so that he would name the terrorist lawmaker. House Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila also promised the House that he would look into the matter and revert back to the House. Till date, nothing has been heard on the matter. For all you and I know, it is not impossible that President Buhari and the National Assembly have decided to “off the mic” on the matter.
He who asserts must prove. Allegations unsupported by concrete evidence are embarrassingly flawed. If President Buhari and the Federal Attorney-General Malami are alleging that the Federal government has unmasked the financiers and abettors of Sunday Igboho and Nnamdi Kanu they should, in all honesty, name them especially now that Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Igboho are respectively on trial. It makes no sense leveling accusation of such high magnitude in public without any concrete facts to back it up. By alleging that a member of the National Assembly is an aider and abettor of terrorism in Nigeria both President Buhari and Federal Attorney-General Malami have cast an odium and opprobrium on the distinguished members of the Senate and the Honourable members of the House of Representatives. They have lowered the estimation of the members of the National Assembly before the right-thinking members of the public. And by refusing/failing/neglecting to disclose the name the terrorism sponsor in the National Assembly, Buhari and Malami have put all the 469 members of the National Assembly on the Watch List of terrorists. This is not good. Every citizen of this country is presumed innocent until the contrary is proved by a court of competent jurisdiction.