Bad news they say, spreads like wildfire and so was the news of the plan by terrorists to abduct Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari and Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El- Rufai.
Nigerians received the information directly from the same set of audacious terrorists that attacked the Abuja-Kaduna rail, killing and injuring passengers before abducting scores in March, in a viral video released last weekend. That video didn’t waste time before it went viral, exposing to the whole world, of course with the exception of President Buhari, how badly terrorists have infiltrated the country.
That it took an El Rufai, days later, to inform President Buhari about the threat of his possible abduction by terrorist, sounds like a folktale. While reiterating his earlier suggestion to carpet-bomb the terrorists’ hide out during a radio programme during the week, the Kaduna State Governor said, “Now, it has gotten to a level where terrorists will go to Kuje prison and free their people. And they even did a video where they were threatening to abduct President Muhammadu Buhari and me and take us to their jungle.
“What happened within this week is what made me seek to see the President and I called him that I needed to see him. So, he gave me an appointment for Sunday and I went to see him. Then, I told him about the recent developments, particularly the video released by the terrorists. In fact, up till that moment, he was not even aware. So, the following day, Monday, the Zamfara Governor, Bello Mattawalle confirmed to him, that he even saw the video, so we need to take action”.
Nasir El-Rufai’s claim that he informed Buhari about the plot by terrorists to abduct him, is unbelievable, though not surprising because, this is not the first time that the president is feigning ignorance about serious developments in the country he swore to oversee and it’s rather disappointing. Nigerians keep wondering whether he does not listen to news or read newspapers. And his media aides?, isn’t it part of their duties to keep the president informed?
“We all know that the president lives in this cloistered existence but, to not read a newspaper for crying out loud is taking things a bit far”, Tundun Abiola said on Arise TV yesterday. “What Governor El Rufai disclosed here, inadvertently strengthens the argument of those calling for his impeachment. If you are not aware, of a threat made against you, you are blindly unaware of threats made against the rest of us. It’s actually a shocking indictment that he did not know; he is oblivious of the obvious. And that shouldn’t have been said in public but I’m glad it was but really, it made him look indifferent, clueless. It’s really scary for the Commander-In-Chief not to be able to glance at the newspapers. These were all front page news; just from the headlines you know you’re being threatened”.
Looking at the whole scenario from another angle, Tundun believes that the statement is a let down on those sacrificing their lives daily for Nigeria.
“We have our gallant troupes manning checkpoints being picked up by marauding terrorists on motorcycles, they lay down their lives while the rest of us sleep in our beds especially the president, clueless about what’s going on around is unfair to them”.
In the words of Dr Reuben Abati, “There are many Nigerians asking the question- what is president Muhammadu Buhari, aware of? And when they ask such cheeky question, it’s this type of situation they are referring to. So, El Rufai’s claim that he was the one that informed the president on Sunday that terrorists were threatening to abduct him is shocking because the president of the country is the chief security officer of the entire country; he is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. On a daily basis, he receives security reports from NIA- the intelligence agency, from the Department of State Services, the DMI, and he receives summary of major news of the day from the office of the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity.
“So, it’s strange that the president of a country like Nigeria will not be aware of anything when he has access to the highest level of intelligence that is possible in the country. Even if he does not read the documents on his table, he has people who would brief him”.
Dr Abati queries further, “Could it be out of sycophancy or fear, or timidity that those who brief the president could not have drawn his attention to the video that went viral? Garba Shehu told us the other time that the president likes to watch television, and looks at cartoons. There have been enough cartoons and stories on this matter. So, if he missed it on the security documents, there’s no way he will miss it in the cartoons”.
Rufai Oseni who anchored the segment wondered if there has ever been anytime the FCT has been under siege and flanked by terrorists like it is at present. Without mincing words he declared that, “We might not want to admit it but we are already at the stage of war.
Most parts of this country are inundated by attacks that have not been stemmed. In the South West, Ondo was attacked again; that’s two attacks within a month; the South East is no go area. Now in the FCT, two major attacks in the space of four days, only for the governor to say that the president was not aware of this. The president needs to be aware and rise up and do something.
“We are being laughed at in other parts of the world. We need to get our soldiers up and running and this is the time the president needs to speak to Nigerians”.
Rufai also condemned the presidency’s idea of tagging Nigerians as anarchists each time they express their concerns about grave matters and, for “saying that the media shouldn’t report it the way it should”.
“Our capital is surrounded and we are treating it with kid gloves. The president must do everything to avert the impending doom in our country”, he intoned.
Vanguard
