The shooting incident last week Thursday at the State House which is President Muhammadu Buhari’s official residence,
no doubt reverberated across the country and therefore became an issue that cannot be swept under the carpet.
The issue on Sunday night led to an official statement by Mallam Garba Shehu for further clarification on the silent matter which though portend an undercurrent of potential danger to the safety of President Buhari.
The incident evokes to some extent a raging cold war both within and the extended family of the President Buhari which some section of the the media argued has not subsided.
DELE OGBODO, in this report examines the different perspectives on the issues:
GENESIS OF THE FRACAS
President Buhari’s Secretary and nephew, Mr. Sabiu Yesufu, had just returned from a visit from Lagos where his wife had put to bed. On his return from Nigeria’s hotspot of the raging COVID-19, he was said to be confronted by the First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari to face self isolation or be quarantine. Effort to clarify whether this is procedural at the State House yielded no positive result.
Yesufu, refused to comply to the medical order from the first lady and his 2 children. Yesufu cited clear instances while even Aisha’s 2 children and Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, who is President Buhari’s Chief of Staff were not compelled to self quarantine. The melee which ensued led to the 2 shots fired by Aisha’s ADC, Usman Shugaba and his colleagues. A private security expert who spoke on anonymity said this arose because of the glaring overzealousness of the security set, adding that the first lady could not have ordered for the shots.
This immediately sent Yusufu to seek safety in his uncle’s residence Mamman Daura. The incident which did not hurt anybody led to the intervention of the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Mohammed Adamu, who immediately ordered the detention of Aisha’s ADC and his colleagues for alleged ‘breach of security’ at the precinct of the State House.
FIRST LADY’S CONCERN
The wife of the President was no doubt concerned about the health of her husband even though she bye passed the well equipped Medical Facility available at the State House that would have been given that responsibility by extension to investigate carriers of the virus.
President Buhari is presently far and above 70 years and therefore such age status is said to be at the mercy of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, Aisha’s apprehension can be better understood since Yusufu, worked at close range to the President because of the nature of his briefs.
YESUFU’S ANGST
Sabiu Yesufu, also called Tunde, is a distance relative of the President and therefore felt he should not be segregated and selectively discriminated on health ground. According to sources, the President’s CoS, Profile.
Gambari and Aisha’s 2 children just returned from Lagos, and so why were they not forced to face quarantine.
CALMING A FRENZY MOOD
Wading in to stem further deterioration of the incident, President Buhari, through his Senior Spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu, ordered investigation into the shooting, pledging that the rule even in this instance must be allowed to run its course. Though worries were expressed, Buhari, according to Shehu was not in anyway in harm’s way.
However, presidency in the statement also clarified that Buhari, is sound and not under the threat of COVID-19 pandemic.
Shehu, in the statement acknowledged however that the first lady’s ADC team are knowledgeable and well in the handling of fire arms. He added that they are well trained in the dos and donts of their briefs including resistance to shooting.
WHY NIGERIANS SHOULNOT WORRY
Shehu, while also allaying fears concerning the incident said Nigerians need not exercise any fear because the incident did not happen around President Buhari’s house but at some distance. He insisted that presidency is interested in the law taking its course on the matter.