Senator Mohammed Alli Ndume, an alleged sponsor of the outlawed Islamic Boko Haram sect in Nigeria, has told an Abuja Magistrate Court that he was not guilty. In sharp contrast to the lawmaker’s pleas of not guilty, his accuser, the alleged spokesman of Boko Haram, notable political thug Alli Kodunga, a.k.a. Al-Zawahiri, pleaded guilty.
Some of Ndume’s colleagues in the National Assembly said that the charges of unauthorized disclosure of privileged information and criminal conduct to the sect members remain mere allegations, and that their colleague should not be pronounced guilty until the allegations against him are established before the court.
Reports monitored through Channels TV in Lagos indicate the State Security Service charged Senator Ali Ndume to court with two counts of breach of official trust by disclosing information to unauthorised persons and criminal conduct.
According to reports, the Borno South Senator is being accused of working with the deadly Boko Haram sect, following allegations made by Ali Sanda Umar Konduga, the alleged sect’s spokesman already in SSS custody, that he was one of the sponsors of the deadly group.
He was fingered alongside former Nigeria’s ambassador to Sao Tome and Principe, the late Amb. Sa’idu Pindar by a kingpin of the sect, Ali Sanda Umar Konduga, aka, Usman Al-Zawahiri who was paraded by the SSS in Abuja yesterday.
Security sources revealed that the former Minority Whip in the House of Representatives was picked up at about 10 p.m. from his residence in Abuja.
Several calls To contact him for a reaction proved abortive as he did not pick up his call neither did he reply any of the text messages sent to him.
The suspecet, Konduga had claimed that the late Pindar had informed them that former President Olusegun Obasanjo was behind ex-governor Sherrif, and encouraged them to send the threat test messages to him and other Northern politicians including Senator Sanusi Daggash, who he claimed worked against the victory of the PDP in the state during the governorship election.
He claimed Senator Ndume had provided the numbers to which the test messages were sent but after his acceptance to be on a committee set up by the administration, the sect members began to question his loyalty and had to confront the lawmaker.
The suspect further explained that the sect had been in good terms with the former governor who appointed one of their members, Fuju Foi, as commissioner for religious affairs until he was sacked and killed under questionable circumstance.
The spokesperson, who claimed he had been suspended by the sect on the suspicion that he was a government informant, disclosed that the sect had only one spokesperson before the death of their leader, pointing out that on regrouping they decided on three persons to coordinate the affairs of the sect.
On whether the sect had sympathy for the PDP, he said Boko Haram was only against the ANPP but would support any other party in Borno State because they believe the party was not capable of meeting the yearnings of the people.
The SSS deputy director public relations, Ms. Marilyn Ogar had told journalists that the suspect was arrested through a joint security operation on November 3, 2011, at Gwange area, Maiduguri.
The SSS spokesperson further disclosed that the suspect had also confessed he was behind the threat text messages sent to the judges of the Election Petitions Tribunal in Maiduguri.
Senator Ndume has pleaded not guilty to the charges leveled against him, while Mr. Konduga who did plead guilty, was convicted under Section 398 of the penal code.
Chief Magistrate Oyebola Oyewumi has deferred sentencing Konduga in view of the allegations made against Mr. Ndume.
The case has been adjourned to 6 December this year, while the accused persons are to be remanded in the custody of the SSS.
Meanwhile, the Senate has vowed to stand by their accused comrade. Senate’s spokesman, Senator Eyinya Abaribe, in a press briefing after a closed door executive session in Abuja, said for now there are only allegations against Ndume and the law states that one is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Senator Abaribe asked the security agencies to conclude investigations into the matter, saying the Senate would take a stand afterwards.