Aisha Buhari’s Detained Aides: Concerns Over President Buhari’s PA Abuse Of Power

MICHAEL AKINOLA

There is growing concerns over the arbitrary detention of some security and personal aides attached to the wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Hajiya Aisha Buhari on the orders of Mr. Sabiu Yusuff, one of the President’s Personal Assistants.

The action of Yusuff, who is also a nephew to the President, was seen as an outright abuse of power and an insult to the wife of the number one citizen of the country.

Hajiya Aisha had on Friday asked the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, to release her staff who are in Police detention.

According to Mrs. Buhari in a series of tweets, she demanded that the IGP should release her assigned Staff, who are still in the custody of the Police, in order to avoid putting their lives in danger or exposure to COVID-19 while in their custody.

The wife of the President tweeted: “That COVID-19 is real and still very much around in our nation is not in doubt.

“Consequently, I call on all relevant Government Agencies to enforce the Quarantine Act signed by Mr. President and ensure no one is found violating this law and the NCDC guidelines especially on interstate travel without the necessary exemptions for movement of essentials.

“Anyone who does that should at the very least be made to undergo a 14-day mandatory isolation no matter who the person is, no one should be above the law and the Police command…”

Hajiya Aisha did not say who among her staff were in detention or how and why they were detained.

However, an online publication on Friday claimed that the arrest of some of the First Lady’s staff was instigated by Sabiu Yusuff, following his ejection from the Presidential Villa for allegedly breaching the COVID-19 safety code.

According to the publication, Yusuff, who is also called Tunde, a name he adopted from the name of the late Tunde Idiagbon, was said to have recently returned to Abuja from Lagos and failed to observe self-isolation.

Yusuff was said to have visited the Villa but was turned back so that the First Family, particularly the President, who he works with directly, might not be exposed to COVID-19.

The President’s aide was also said to have had contacts with the late immediate past GMD of the NNPC, Mr. Maikanti Baru, and it was gathered that based on that, attempts made to get him to do a COVID-19 test since then proved abortive.

“Yusuff did not take kindly to being asked to self isolate by the wife of the President and two of his children who were at the Villa then”, a source in the Aso Villa said.

“He got violent and had altercations with the security aides attached to the Wife of the President. He later stormed out in anger and the next thing was that Mrs. Buhari’s security aides were withdrawn allegedly on his orders to the IGP,” the source added.

However, some concerned Nigerians, who were peeved over the reports, are already asking what power the Personal Assistant to the President, who is in his 30s, has to question the authority of the Wife of the President?

“Is it too much to ask him and his friends who flouted directives on inter-state travel to isolate themselves. Recall that even the President’s last daughter had to go on isolation when she returned from a trip. So, why not Sabiu Yusuf,” a source queried.

“Who is Yusuff to call the Inspector General to order for the withdrawal of the security details of the first lady? Is Yusuff, a Personal Assistant now seeing himself as the De facto President of Nigeria since the demise of the former Chief of Staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari, who was believed to be in-charge in Aso Rock by many observers?” the source added.

Another source within the Aso Villa told this medium; “As a nephew to the President, Yusuff ought to know how to be dispassionate in his actions and give honour to whom it is due.

“The Office of the First Lady should not be desecrated by those who don’t know their left from right. Most importantly the health and safety of the President matters. If the rule says self isolate after a trip,why not and it should be applicable to all inclusive of Sabiu Tunde Yusuff, who sees the President several times in a day.