By Kazeem Waris
Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, has dismissed allegations that the arrest of politician Alhaji Wakiil Goni Mama, popularly known as Mai Salati, was politically motivated, insisting that he has no interest in intimidating political opponents.
Buni said the military had no business in partisan politics, maintaining that the case against Mai Salati should not be linked to political differences.
The governor spoke on Thursday during the swearing-in of commissioners and chairmen of the 17 local government areas in Damaturu, where he disclosed that he had directed the chairman of Geidam Local Government Area to follow up on the matter with military authorities and community elders.
His comments followed allegations in some quarters that he was behind Mai Salati’s arrest and had allegedly used the military to target the politician over political differences.
Rejecting the insinuations, Buni said threatening or intimidating political opponents was inconsistent with his principles.
“I reached out to the Geidam chairman, instructed him to follow up on the case with the military commander and other elders on the case and report back to me,” the governor said.
“It is not in my principle to threaten opposition,” he added.
Mai Salati was reportedly arrested in early October by troops of the Nigerian Army’s Operation Hadin Kai over allegations of providing logistical support to suspected members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a faction of the Boko Haram insurgency operating in the North-East.
Reports published by TheCable and other media organisations on October 8 and 9 said the arrest followed an alleged attempt by the politician to bribe soldiers to secure the release of suspects arrested in Kanamma, Yobe State, over suspected terrorist logistics activities.
According to the reports, the suspects were being processed for further investigation when Mai Salati allegedly intervened to secure their release by offering money to military personnel.
The soldiers reportedly rejected the alleged inducement and arrested him. Security sources cited in the reports said he and other suspects were subsequently moved from Damaturu to Maiduguri for further investigation.
The arrest sparked political controversy amid speculation that it might be connected to Mai Salati’s reported defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
However, security sources cited in the initial reports rejected suggestions that the arrest was politically motivated, maintaining that the operation concerned allegations of terrorism-related logistics and an attempt to interfere with the detention of suspects.
Buni’s remarks represent his rejection of the allegations linking him to the arrest, while the claims against Mai Salati remain allegations pending the outcome of the relevant investigative process.
