A former Governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, on Monday, admitted passing through the Aminu Kano International Airport on Saturday while the Chad-bound Russian aircraft carrying military hardware was being detained.
He, however, denied a report in the media that he conducted a discreet tour of the impounded aircraft and blamed those he called his political rivals for peddling the rumour.
According to the report, Mr. Sheriff had on Saturday night paid a curious visit to the Kano Airport during which he requested two security officials at the airport to lead him on a discreet tour of the detained aircraft and even allegedly mounted pressure on airport security officials to release the plane, a development that sparked widespread speculation across the country.
The former governor has been accused of sponsoring terrorism and his presence at the airport coincidentally when the aircraft was detained did not help douse the speculation especially given his well-publicized closeness to President Idriss Deby of Chad, the country where the detained aircraft was headed.
While admitting that he indeed travelled through the airport that night, Mr. Sheriff claimed that it was brief as he was just returning from the wedding ceremony of his late friend’s son in Katsina.
“At the risk of exposing my private programme and movement last week, I like to say, all the same, that I left Abuja for Katsina last Thursday for the wedding ceremony of Muhammed, son of my friend, Lamai Hassan, who died 20 years ago,” he said. “After the wedding, I needed to return to Abuja on Saturday with other friends through the Kano International Airport, since there was no direct flight from Katsina”.
While the report said its sources sighted the ex-governor at the airport around 10 p.m. that day, he denied it, claiming he passed by the airport earlier than the time stated in the report. He also failed to say precisely when, but claimed to have attended a meeting at Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja at 9 p.m. same day.
Mr. Sheriff also did not mention whether or not he embarked on a guided tour of the aircraft at whatever time he visited the airport that Saturday.
In continuation of his defence, Sheriff said: “I hereby use this means to say to my adversaries anywhere they may be that their evil motives to soil may name and hard earned reputation will not stand.
“Those who are drawn into the conspiracy to hack me down under any guise will always fail as much I am certain that they will continue to get soaked in the whirlpool of self-delusion and hopelessness”.
He added, “To round up, I will not be tired of dismissing every report linking me with terrorism and insurgency in Nigeria. On this note, I reiterate that as a Nigerian who had served two tenures in the Senate and two terms as a governor of Borno State, I have not, and I will never have anything to do with a group or individuals who like to pull down Nigeria or any part of it, while I say categorically again that I have nothing to do with terrorists and insurgents in any part of Nigeria, as my conscience can bear me witness”.
