Thursday’s embarrassing shooting incident in the As Rock Villa during argument between the First Lady, Aisha and a senior personal assistant to the president, Yusuf Sabiu (aka Tunde), has come under investigation on the orders of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The President, in a response to concerns raised nationwide over the incident, clarified that he was not endangered in the incident, which happened outside his main residence.
In a statement issued Sunday by his senior special assistant on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, the President urged Nigerians to allow the investigation and due process of law follow thereafter.
Shehu cautioned against critics using the “minor incident” to justify attacks on the government and the person of President Buhari.
The shooting incident had reportedly occurred in the official residence of Sabiu within the Presidential Villa, when the First Lady and some of her children, accompanied by her police escorts, requested Sabiu to self-isolate after his recent private trip to Lagos, in view of the Covid-19 guidelines.
Her concern was born out of the possibility of the aide contracting the Coronavirus and putting Buhari a risk; especially as Abba Kyari, the former Chief of Staff to Buhari died from the disease last April.
Sabiu was said to have refused the demand and continued with his official assignments, explaining that his boss, the President had not asked him to self-isolate.
This infuriated the First Lady and the argument was said to degenerated to the point of the First Lady’s police aide firing some gunshots into the air as Sabiu fled the scene.
The said police orderly his team were subsequently arrested upon the intervention of the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.
A worried Aisha Buhari took to Twitter the following day to openly demand the release of her police aides.
According to the statement issued by Shehu: “The Presidency wishes to acknowledge concerns expressed by several members of the public regarding the recent incident among the occupants of the State House which escalation led to the arrest of some staff by the police.
“This is to assure all and everyone that the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Muhammadu Buhari, is not, and was not at anytime in any form of danger arising, either from deadly infections or the reported incident by security personnel which is currently under investigation.
“This particular incident happened outside the main residence of the President.
“Armed guards and other security personnel assigned to the State House receive the necessary training of especially weapons handling and where they come short, their relevant agencies have their rules and regulations to immediately address them.
“Having authorized the proper investigation to be carried out into this unfortunate incident by the Police, the President has acted in compliance with the rule of law.
“That a minor occurrence is being used by some critics to justify attacks on the government and the person of President Muhammadu Buhari beggars belief.
“In this particular instance, the President says the law should be allowed to take its course.”
