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Tag: SENATOR

  • Senator: adopting Fayemi for second term okay

    Senator: adopting Fayemi for second term okay

    he Vice-Chairman of the Senate’s Committee on Interior, Olubunmi Adetunmbi, has justified the adoption of Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi for second term by a group in the state.

    Adetunmbi said Ekiti people are celebrating Fayemi because his administration is evidence–based and performance-driven.

    The lawmaker, who represents Ekiti North Senatorial District, spoke with reporters in Abuja on various issues.

    When asked to comment on the adoption of Fayemi for second term by a group and whether the governor deserves a second term, Adetunmbi said one of the basic principles of democracy is freedom of expression, which includes the right to choose and right of aspiration.

    He said: “Let us accept that we are running a popular democracy, where one of the freedoms guaranteed is the right of expression, choice and aspiration.

    “To that extent, anybody is free to aspire under the Nigerian Constitution and the constitution of our party. By the same token, it is the right of the other with different persuasion to say this is the person we want.

    “So, what I see here is an exercise of rights, which is not a breach of any law. At the end of the day the people will make their choice, both in the party and in the general election. I do not see any serious disagreement or breach here.”

    On Fayemi’s performance, Adetunmbi urged journalists to visit Ekiti State to see things for themselves.

    He said: “What we are celebrating in Fayemi is not politics. It is a continuity that is evidence-based and performance-driven. It is easily measurable. It is a product that has advertised itself by virtue of attribute and not propaganda.”

    On the formation of the All progressives Congress (APC), the lawmaker said it was the right way to rescue the country from the “purposeless” leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration.

    He said it is generally agreed that the fragmentation of opposition parties in the country is not healthy for democracy because it does not provide a strong alternative to the PDP.

  • Hajj: Sultan, senator, others restate support for govt sponsorship

    The Sultan of Sokoto and Amiru’l Hajj, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has urged the Federal Government not to withdraw its sponsorship of pilgrims to holy lands.

    The sultan said there is need for Nigerian authorities to take a firm stand on Muharam to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj exercise.

    The conveyance of Nigerian pilgrims during last year’s Hajj was temporarily disrupted when some women pilgrims were barred from going to Medina because the need for male relations to accompany female pilgrims under 40 years was being implemented.

    Abubakar spoke yesterday in Abuja at the opening of a two-day post-mortem conference on last year’s Hajj.

    The sultan hailed the Federal Government for the successful execution of the last holy pilgrimage.

    He said the exercise was successful when viewed against the background of some challenges pilgrims and authorities encountered during the pilgrimage and how they were surmounted.

    Drawing from the objective of the conference: To review the 2012 Hajj operation and identify suitable strategies for improvement, the Muslim leader said: “It has become imperative to engage the Nigerian and Saudi authorities on the issue of Muharam.

    “They have to look at the fact that we are predominantly of Maliki school of jurisprudence. We don’t expect someone to order us to follow something else. Even though it is a give-and-take issue, there is still the need for engagement and enlightenment.

    “I urge this conference to take a stand, which will be in the best interest of the country and the Muslim Ummah, so that as we prepare for this year’s excessive, we don’t fall into the same trap again.”

  • PIB unfair to North, says Senator Abba-Ibrahim

    PIB unfair to North, says Senator Abba-Ibrahim

    A SENATOR has explained why the North is opposed to the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) – the much vaunted magic for the troubled oil sector.

    The chairman, Senate Committee on Housing, Sen. Bukar Abba-Ibrahim (ANPP-Yobe) said yesterday in Abuja that the North is opposed to the PIB because of its “lopsidedness”.

    Abba-Ibrahim, who spoke at an interactive session with reporters, said the clause in the PIB, which is asking for additional 10 per cent revenue for oil producing communities, is unacceptable.

    He said: “Derivation is only one out of seven sources of revenue for the oil producing states. They have the Federal Government’s take home, the NDDC with over N500 billion being projects only in oil producing communities, they also have the Niger Delta Ministry with over N400 billion Federal Government grants in the name of amnesty and oil companies doing social corporate responsibility.”

    According to Abba-Ibrahim, adding another 10 per cent to the already existing revenue generators for the zone will be unfair. “Adding another 10 per cent to all these seven sources, I don’t know how you are going to have peace where resources allocations are so skewed to one side and unfair.’’

    He said this addition in the PIB is unacceptable and suggested that the money should go into the treasury so that every Nigerian could benefit from it.

    “Nobody planted or farmed oil, it is God who put it there and it will not last forever. It will get to a point where the oil will finish and another natural resource will come up and every Nigerian will benefit from it,’’ the senator said.

    The lawmaker added that the North is also opposed to the PIB because of its failure to make provision for the exploitation of other minerals in other parts of the country.

    “We have over 800 million tonnes of limestone in Gulane, Fune and Guljimba local governments of Yobe, but as a state government, you cannot go and exploit, it has to be done by the Federal Government.’’

    He expressed optimism that the bill when passed, would sanitise the Industry and address corruption. Speaking on the security challenge in the country, Abba-Ibrahim said that although dialogue might not be the only solution, it remained the best solution.

    “I am not saying it is the only solution because there are many ways to solve it, but I believe that dialogue remains the best.”

    He said himself and four others were named as observers in the negotiations between the Boko Haram sect members and the Federal Government, but that the sect members still remained faceless.

    Abba-Ibrahim, a former governor of Yobe, decried the marginalisation of the Northeast zone, which he said was one of the largest geo-political zones in the country. He said the marginalisation had led to the backwardness of the zone, which is battling desertification and poverty.

    While acknowledging that no particular leader could be blamed for the backwardness of the zone, he urged Nigerians to help proffer solutions to the regions problems.

    “The Southeast had their problems and it was resolved, the Southsouth also had their marginalisation problems resolved. So we hope that Nigerians would also help find solutions for the Northeast zone.”

    On education, he urged the president to summon the political will and courage to declare free and compulsory education up to secondary school level nationwide this year.

    He insisted that the merger talks between opposition parties in Nigeria are meant to give the country a credible alternative in 2015.

    Abba-Ibrahim said: “The Northeast today is where it is for the reasons I have just given. We just hope Southern Nigerian will try to consciously help us solve our problems.

    “The poverty in the northeast is unbelievable. It is incredible. When you get there you don’t need to be told. Just go round and don’t talk to anybody. When you come back, if you are an honest person you will say ‘yes, this place has been neglected for so long.’

    “Studies after studies have shown that it is the poorest part of Nigeria not because of lack of natural resources. No, but because of neglect for over decades.

    “You can’t blame Jonathan or Yar’Adua or any particular leader for what happened. But what happened had happened and there is need to consciously try to solve these problems and the circle goes on and on.

    “There are other issues like our National Social Housing Bill. This is part of the fight against poverty. There is also the Desertification Commission which will soon be debated on the floor of the Senate.

    “That is also part of poverty alleviation efforts because desertification remains one of the reasons the North East zone is the poorest part of Nigeria.

    “All the reasons for which we are poor or backward are not man-made. Some are natural and desertification is one of them.

    “In whatever form it is going to be passed, I hope the PIB will be passed so that there will be reform in the petroleum industry – the most corrupt industry in Nigeria and probably the most corrupt institution in the world as of today.

    “We must put a stop to this corruption. We can’t go on just talking about it. We have to go a step forward to try to solve the problems.

    “If at the end of 2013, these three Bills are through and Mr President has signed them into law and they have started to solve our problems, I will be very, very happy.

    “In addition to that, I hope Mr President will have the political will, he apparently seems to lack a strong political will. But I hope he will muscle sufficient courage to declare free and compulsory education up to secondary school level nationwide.

    “If he does just that and in 2015 tells us bye, bye, we will be grateful to him for life and forever.

    “If he does not I believe he has a lot of things to face. After all, we are about to merge – ANPP, ACN, CPC, APGA and part of Labour Party, Insha Allah are becoming one very strong progressive socialist party to take the monster, this monster called the PDP – that is the only way you can defeat the PDP and give Nigerians a credible alternative.”

     

  • Senator donates more materials to Jigawa flood victims

    The senator representing Jigawa North-West at the National Assembly, Danladi Sankara, yesterday donated more materials to flood victims in the state.

    The senator delivered the materials, which included 7,000 mosquito nets and 1,300 blankets, to the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in Dutse, the state capital.

    The gesture, the senator said, was part of his assistance to the flood victims.

    He started donating to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in July.

    In August, September and October, Sankara donated various materials, including cash, clothes, rice, sugar and building materials, to rehabilitate the flood victims.

    On the floor of the Senate, Sankara moved a motion on: The Menace of Floods in Nigeria.

    This prompted the Federal Government to release special funds to the affected states to rehabilitate the victims. Jigawa State got N400million from the funds.

    Also, works have reached advanced stage on the 76 water development projects initiated by the senator in the 12 local governments under Jigawa North-West Senatorial District.

    The facilities are parts of the constituency projects Sankara influenced into this year’s budget.

  • Jos crisis worse than Biafra war, says senator

    The senator representing Plateau North, Gyang Nyam Pwajok, yesterday said the protracted crisis in the state is worse than the 30 months of Biafra war that occurred between 1967 and 1970.

    Addressing reporters in Abuja, the senator urged the Federal Government to establish a Reconciliation, Reconstruction and Stability Fund to address the fallout of the crisis.

    He noted that the destruction caused by the 1994, 2001 and 2008 conflicts had not been reconstructed.

    Pwajok said: “When I talked about establishing a Reconciliation, Reconstruction and Stability Fund, somebody said it is actually more or less an incentive for further conflict. We had a civil war and we had to pass through a reconstruction effort. In fact, the damage this protracted conflict has caused can be more than the civil war damage in itself.

    “This is because the nature of the conflict is such that people have died on all sides, whether it is Muslim, Christian, indigene or non-indigene.

    “Many people have died, many others have lost their property, even in the nature of the relationship between communities. Victims end up becoming perpetrators and perpetrators end up becoming victims at certain moments.

    “If you check, the conflict of 1994 left behind structures that were battered. In the 1994 conflict, during military era, some of the destroyed property have not been reconstructed. In 2001, there was another conflict in which a number of structures were ravaged. Nobody has done anything about them.

    “In 2008, a number of structures were destroyed; nothing has happened in some areas. Yet, there is government’s effort to reconstruct, even at the state level and even help the residents to stand on their feet. Once there is a fresh conflict, the property gets burnt again.”

     

     

     

     

     

  • My people want me as senator in 2015, says Akpabio

    My people want me as senator in 2015, says Akpabio

    Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State yesterday said his people from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District have asked him to represent them at the Senate in 2015.

    The governor, while speaking during an interview with The Nation on Sunday at the newly constructed Government Office in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, said his people asked him not to retire politically but go ahead to represent them in Abuja.

    The Nation on Sunday had a few months back exclusively reported that the governor was eyeing the Senate.

    When asked what he would be doing after the expiration of his tenure in 2015, Akpabio said: “By the grace of God, I will see myself as a Senator in 2015. My people have approached me and told me not to retire politically. They said I should go and become a Senator and I have accepted their request.”

    While commenting on the state of development in the state, the governor said his government has changed the face of infrastructural development in the state, stressing that he would want anybody that would take over from him to do more for the people.

    The governor traced the source of the country’s problem not to lack of natural resources but how to utilise the resources for the betterment of the citizenry.

    According to the governor, without true federalism, there won’t be real progress. He said there was a need to decentralise the policing system in the country.

    He said: “Without true federalism, there will never be real progress in Nigeria. We must begin to look at how to decentralise the policing system because the current one is not working.

    “We shouldn’t be afraid that a governor will use state police wrongly. Also we should also remove some things on the exclusive and allow state to legislate.”

    Akpabio, who will turn 50 on December 9, said the journey so far has been a mixture of sadness and joy.

    He said: “I owe a lot to my wife. I didn’t see myself as a successful man at 50 because I am still working. My children have also given me support. I thank them for their sacrifice.”

  • Senator Lado flags off rehabilitation of Tamburawa Bridge

    IT was tears of joy among commuters and residents at the weekend in Kano, when Senator Bashir Garba Lado representing Kano Central flagged off the rehabilitation of Tamburawa Bridge in Kano.

    Tamburawa Bridge located at Km 22 Kano–Kaduna dual carriageway, gained notoriety following heavy loss of lives recorded among motorists that ply the strategic highway due to its dilapidated nature occasioned by lack of maintenance.

    The ceremony that attracted politicians, officials of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and large crowd of residents from the adjourning neigh bourhood, was awarded to an indigenous construction firm and it is to be executed on a pro-rata basis.

    Speaking during the ceremony, Senator Lado sought the cooperation of motorists during the rehabilitation exercise, adding that his office is doing everything humanly possible to make sure that rehabilitation works on the project is completed in good time.

    Senator Garba Bashir Lado noted that his office recognises the importance of the project to Kano people and its commerce, adding that he will continue to work with relevant agencies to ensure that a quality work is carried out.

     

  • Boko Haram: Senator slams N5b suit on Defence Minister, AGF

    Boko Haram: Senator slams N5b suit on Defence Minister, AGF

    The embattled Senator Ahmed Khalifa Zanna has filed a N5billion suit against the Minister of Defence and three others for alleged libel and mental trauma when the Joint Task Force (JTF) claimed that a Boko Haram Commander, Shuaibu Mohammed Bama was arrested at his residence in Maiduguri.

    Other defendants are the Chief of Defence Staff, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and the spokesman for the JTF, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa.

    Zanna, who is still being investigated by the State Security Service (SSS), deposed to a 19-point affidavit in support of the action in which he insisted that Bama was not arrested in his house.

    In the Writ of Summons filed by his counsel, Mr. Gbenga Olagundoye, the Senator is “claiming N5billion jointly and severally against the defendants (including aggravated damages) for libel.”

    The writ reads in part: “On or about the 19th of October 201, the 4th Defendant (Lt.Col. Sagir Musa) acting at all material time in the normal course of his duties as spokesperson of the Joint Task Force at a press conference attended by numerous representatives of the print and electronic media (both local and foreign) maliciously issued a written press statement which was distributed and disseminated to journalists and members of the public following defamatory words concerning the Plaintiff which the defendants knew to be false.”

    In his affidavit, the Senator said: “That I am aware of the facts stated above because my attention was drawn to the publication of the press statement in all newspapers, television and radio stations as well as the internet. I read the report in the newspapers and on the internet, viewed the report on all the television stations in Nigeria and listened to the same report on all the radio broadcast on the issue in Nigeria

    “Judging from the volume of phone calls and text messages that myself, my aides, my relatives, friends and well-wishers received on the issues, I sincerely believed that practically every Nigerian read the report of the press statement issued by the 4th Defendant

    “That the words referred and were understood to refer to me by the following particulars:

    “That I am the only serving Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who has a house along Damboa Road GRA Maiduguri

    “That I am a member of the National Assembly and the Senator representing Borno Central Senatorial Zone in the Senate

    “That the facts in (a) and (b) above are widely known to Nigerians especially my friends, relations and associates and the entire population of Borno State and the Borno Central Senatorial Zone

    “That in their natural and ordinary meaning, the said words published concerning me, meant and were understood to mean that:

    “I harbored a wanted Boko Haram terror suspect in my house and therefore I am a supporter of the terrorists group Boko Haram

    “That the clear innuendo in the words complained of, bore and were understood to bear the meaning which I have just stated by the facts that pleading in the foregoing paragraph by way of innuendo with the following particulars:

    “That Boko Haram is a notorious terrorist group operating in Nigeria and who had been held responsible by the public for a series of terrorist activities, bombings and killings of both of civilians as well as military, police and other Para-military personnel

    “That it is generally believed by members of the public that the Boko Haram secretly receives materials aid and other support from some members of the society

    “That the publication complained of falsely portrayed me as one of the persons who aid and support the Boko Haram in their terrorist activities.”

     

  • Way out of our economic woes, by Senator

    Way out of our economic woes, by Senator

    Senator Emmanuel Bwacha is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development. He represents Taraba South District in the National Assembly. A lawyer, he was once a member of the House of Representatives where he was Chairman, Committee on Police Affairs commissioner and Majority Leader of the state Assembly. In this interview with  the lawmaker speaks on various issues. 

     

     

    For a decade now, you have been politically relevant both in your state and at the national level. What have you done for Taraba and Nigeria so far?

    You are right. I was elected in the State House of Assembly in 1999; first, during the Sani Abacha transition period that collapsed, and during the Abdulsalami Abubakar administration that handed over to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.  I served briefly as Majority Leader of the House. I played a key role in the emergence of the leadership of that Assembly. The Governor then, Rev. Jolly Nyame approached me to serve in his cabinet. Those who know about Nyame’s emergence will testify that some of us were at the centre of most of the political events. Crisis almost tore the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) apart, after Barrister Baba Adi did not have the opportunity to fly the banner of the party at the general election. For those of us who were the key members of the Bibinu Campaign Organisation, I couldn’t understand why the former governor asked me to be part of his administration. But when he approached me, I obliged. Of course, having been elected a member of the House of Assembly, it was indeed relegation, going to serve as commissioner. So, I sought the opinion of my constituents in Donga. I told them that they elected me as a legislator in the State Assembly but the governor wanted me to serve in the executive cabinet as commissioner.  All who mattered in the politics of my local government gave me the nod to go and serve as commissioner, and that, if I ran into any trouble, I should come back to them.  I found their position very encouraging. That was how I became the Commissioner of Agriculture in the Nyame administration. In that capacity, I was instrumental to the formation of corporative societies across the state. It was a medium for reaching out to the grassroots people. I was also instrumental to the procurement of about 80 tractors, which were distributed to farmers, through these cooperative societies, to encourage farmers at the grassroots. This increased agricultural productivity in Taraba state during the period. In 2003, I contested for the House of Representatives for the Takum, Donga, Ussa and Yangtu federal constituency. I won the election and was appointed Chairman, House Committee on Police Affairs. I served in that capacity for four years in the Fifth Assembly, and we made tremendous impacts in the Nigerian police. We made proposals for the increment of police salaries in this country.

    What have you been doing in the 7th Assembly?

    I am the senate committee chairman on agriculture. Most of our youths barely have any regard for farming in this 21st century. But agriculture had been the bedrock of our economy. Through agriculture, many of us made it to be what we are today. We are faced with a lot of challenges because of the many problems associated with the oil-driven economy. The present security challenges and the political quagmire we are going through are direct negative products of the oil boom, which has encouraged laziness; people no longer want to work, people want to cut corners, make cheap money and that is where we are today.  What we are doing now is to ensure that we restore the dignity of agriculture. As the giant of Africa, as we preach, we have not been able to take the lead. So, we are pushing to see how the Nigerian government can improve and make supplementary budget for the agricultural sector, so that, we as a nation could be able to restore the lost glory and dignity of agriculture, as it was the case in the past. For my state, having been assigned to oversee this critical sector, I put a machinery to restore the famous agriculture show we use to know in our community. We are already partnering with the various local government council chairmen to see how we can revive the famous agricultural show, where farmers will be expected to display their agricultural products. We will institute a prize mechanism, to reward farmers that excel out of such exercises. I believe that this will go a long way in boosting farmers’ morale in agricultural activity. This is outside the scholarship scheme which I initiated to touch the lives of needy students spread over our tertiary institutions across the country.

    You stood against your kinsman, Obadiah Ando, when his name was submitted for Senate screening for a ministerial appointment. Why?

    Beside the reason by everybody that my elder brother, Obadiah Ando was not accessible, it was clearly known by all that my elder brother did not work for the ruling party at the various elections held.  I remember at a certain instance, he did mention that you can vote for the president but all other elections you can vote for Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). That for me was not even a desire for the president to succeed. This is because if the president wins and the parliament is dominated by the opposition from the ACN, then the president will never succeed, eventually, he might be removed from office. So, I don’t see that as expressing passion or loyalty to the president.  We also feel, as a party, that it wasn’t good for such people to be given positions in the cabinet. It is true that General TY Danjuma nominated Obadiah Ando. We went to explain things to him and he reasoned with us by nominating another person, Darius, who is now the Minister.

    In Taraba State, everywhere you turn, the name Emmanuel Bwacha is being touted as the governor to be in 2015. Did you give them that impression?

    I have never told anybody that I wish to contest for the governorship position in my state. To me, 2015 is still very far. I need to concentrate on my service in the senate. That was the mandate given to me at the 2011 poll.  I don’t know why people tend to infer certain things or meanings on my relationship with Governor Suntai, whom I am very loyal to. I admire him (Suntai), not because he is our governor, but because of the refinement he has introduced in the art of modern politics in Taraba State. This is largely the reason I have decided to be so close to him.  It is not because I have any ambition to succeed him and I am courting him for favour, as people are saying.

    It is an open secret that the relationship between you and your senator colleagues from Taraba has been frosty. What went wrong, is it a crack in the state PDP?

    My disagreement with my Senator colleagues is largely political. I get so worried when people interpret this to mean hatred, as if we are sworn enemies. In politics, you agree to disagree, until when interests change. As I speak, they have their own interest different from mine. This does not make us enemies, but we have maturely agreed to disagree. They have their own way of looking at political issues, and I also have mine.

    What do you think is the panacea for the lingering security challenge in the country?

    I want to believe that the security challenge we are faced with is informed by political differences. Those elements detonating bombs everywhere and killing people indiscriminately have grievances that are largely traceable to politics. People are only using religion to have justification for what they are doing. No religion preaches violence. The Bible has never encouraged violence, and I don’t know of any religion that cheers violence or bloodshed. I am a Christian, and I know what it is to kill. Killers will pay back on the Day of Judgment. So, I call on security operatives not to relent in their efforts. They have to put in their best.

    Do you think establishing the state police could be a solution the security challenge?

    No country in the world that has adopted federalism or presidential system of government (which we are copying) without adopting the state police. In our case, we thought we would grow over the years, and I think about 13 years is enough in our democratic process for us to commence certain experiments that could catapult us to an appreciable level, particularly about the police. If you are talking of having autonomy for the states, as prescribed in the concept of federalism, each state should be able to access its own security outfits. I have a typical example in some states; the governor is towing a different line and the commissioner of police is towing another because of conflicting interest or orders from above. For our democracy to grow, we must allow a level of autonomy or independence for all the federating units. These are the indices that give a country a federal structure, with all its federating units melting together. Otherwise, if you say, let the centre be controlling the states continually because governors are going to abuse the state police, the president is not an angel, he is also a human being like you and I. What is good for the goose is also good for the gander.  That is my take on the issue of state police. If you say a governor can abuse the police, the president could as well abuse the structure of the security. It is therefore, better to let state police be. I know the feelings from certain quarters; they have tried to politicise the concept of the state police, which is not supposed to be the case.

     

  • Boko Haram: SSS warns Senator

    Detectives visited Senator Ahmed Khalifa Zanna’s home yesterday, The Nation learnt.

    Also, operatives visited the Senator’s home yesterday but met it under lock and key.

    Zanna is being questioned after the arrest of a suspected Boko Haram Commander, Shuaib Mohammed Bama, at his residence in Maiduguri.

    There were indications that the Senator might have gone underground for fear of attacks.

    After initial interaction with the Senator on Monday, the State Security Service (SSS) asked him to report for a second round of interrogation by 11am yesterday.

    It was gathered that the SSS investigating team waited for many hours without seeing the Senator or receiving a call from him on why he could not honour the appointment.

    Zanna, however, turned up at about 6.20pm.

    A source said: “We waited for several hours for the Senator but he refused to honour the 11am appointment.

    “When the Senator did not come as expected, we sent a team of operatives to his house but the residence was found locked. He also became incommunicado from morning till about 6.20pm.

    “We asked our operatives to visit Zanna’s residence out of concern for his safety and health. When he appeared before us on Monday, he was behaving sickly after sitting for many hours.

    “It got to a point that our operatives had to assist him to get up after we finished the first strand of investigation.

    “But at about 6.20pm, he came to the SSS Headquarters without any genuine excuse. We told him that the SSS does not interrogate in the night.

    “We warned him to respect this agency because the issue at stake is about a security challenge facing the nation. We are not ready to tolerate this type of attitude. Courtesy demands that he should either send a text or an emissary to the SSS if he won’t be able to keep to time. We have asked him to report by 11am on Wednesday (today).

    “We still want to treat him with respect; we will give him time to report to the SSS again for a follow-up session on the statement he raised.”

    Responding to a question, the source added: “He raised many issues and left a lot of gaps to be filled. He said the Boko Haram commander was not arrested in his house but we have a report from the JTF and the suspect is also in custody to confirm the veracity or otherwise of his claim.

    “He also levelled some allegations against ex-Governor Modu Ali Sheriff, who disputed the Senator’s claim.

    “The Senator admitted that there are three types of Boko Haram. We want him to expatiate on this.”

    Zanna said last Sunday: “There are three types of Boko Haram. The political Boko Haram is there, that is ex-Governor Modu Sheriff’s own. And that is why I don’t take my security lightly. The actual Boko Haram is there. And there are some who are chipping in and claiming to be Boko Haram, harassing people and extorting money from them.”