Barely three days after being handed over by the police to the Department of State Services (DSS), the Aide-de-Camp to the wife of the President, Sani Baba-Inna, was reportedly released from detention yesterday morning.
The ADC to wife of the President was handed over to the DSS by the police last Tuesday after being detained last weekend over the diversion of N2.5 billion cash which he allegedly collected on behalf of the wife of the president. Although the DSS was yet to comment on the latest development as at the time of filing this report, the family of the detainee admitted that their son had been released.
“He has just been released and I am on my way to see him,” Sani’s elder brother, Farouq Baba-Inna, said yesterday but provided no further details as to where he met his brother and how his condition was.
The spokesman for the DSS, Mr. Peter Afunanya, could not be reached for confirmation of the release of the suspect as at the time of filing the report last night. But the uncertainty surrounding the arrest and detention of Baba-Inna notwithstanding, the Peoples Democratic Party has taken a swipe at the President, saying that the allegation had blighted the administration’s anti-corruption fight.
The Peoples Democratic Party said, “Buhari by now must have learnt that Nigerians are not buying the lame denial by our first lady, who had rushed to town to disown her detained security aide, Sani Baba Inna, just because the lid is off the can of worms.
“This scandal has further vindicated the stand of the PDP that President Buhari presides over a government of corruption, where his close relatives, officials and a cabal of associates are enmeshed in sleazy deals but parading as saints.
It is instructive to note that the first lady has already admitted that her detained security aide defrauded “unsuspecting associates and officials”, a position which inadvertently exposes the attempt by the police to conceal the matter.
“Since the First Lady, in her statement, confessed that her security aide defrauded “unsuspecting associates and officials”, the PDP demands that the aide de promptly docked in an open court and given the opportunity to defend himself and expose his accomplices in the alleged fraud.
“It is common knowledge that aides of former presidents and those of former first ladies are currently facing trial in open court over similar allegations and this should not be an exception”.
Meanwhile,the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to probe his wife, Aisha, over the N2.5billion scandal linked to her ADC, Sani Baba-Inna.
Aisha’s aide was accused of using the first lady’s name to collect money from unsuspecting associates and government officials as earlier reported.
The PDP, through its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, yesterday, said the scandal has vindicated the stand of the opposition party that Buhari “presides over a government of corruption”.
Ologbondiyan said the ADC should be tried in an open court and be allowed to defend himself.
“PDP challenges President Muhammadu Buhari to show his zero tolerance for corruption by allowing for an open inquest into the N2.5 billion scandal, in which the first lady, Aisha Buhari, has already been entangled; instead of the spirited effort by the presidency to suppress a matter that is already in public domain,” the statement read.
“It is instructive to note that the first lady has already admitted that her detained security aide defrauded ‘unsuspecting associates and officials’, a position which inadvertently exposes the attempt by the Police to conceal the matter.
“The PDP and indeed Nigerians have always pointed to the very expensive lifestyle and personal effects, including posh jewelries, daily paraded by close relatives of Mr. President, thus belying gimmicks and stunts of the first family being saintly and pro-poor.
“Also, there have been allegations of acquisitions of sprawling and choice property in Nigeria and other countries by persons close to the president.
“Since the first lady, in her statement, confessed that her security aide defrauded ‘unsuspecting associates and officials’, the PDP demands that the aide be promptly docked in an open court and given the opportunity to defend himself and expose his accomplices in the alleged fraud.
“It is common knowledge that aides of former presidents and those of former first ladies are currently facing trial in open court over similar allegations and this should not be an exception. The PDP, however, hopes that the detained aide will not be ‘escorted’ out of the country to prevent him from opening up, as was the case of disgraced former minister of finance, Kemi Adeosun.
“Moreover, the PDP invites Nigerians to note that the presidency has suddenly gone dumb on a N2.5billion fraud under its roof. Does this not amount to admittance of complicity by the Buhari presidency, which is becoming notorious as a den of certificate forgers and persons of questionable character.
“The PDP, therefore, holds that since issues have been joined and high profile personalities in the presidency, it hopes this matter will not be swept under the carpet.”