Buhari Blasts Critics Over Shooting at Aso Rock

By Dipo Olowookere

Last Thursday, an unfortunate incident happened at the nation’s seat of power, the Presidential Villa also known as Aso Rock.

It was reported and alleged that in an attempt to force an aide of President Muhammadu Buhari into a self-isolation, securities aides to the First Lady, Mrs Aisha Buhari, fired gunshot, causing the aide, one Sabiu ‘Tunde’ Yusuf, to scale the fence to a relative of the President living at the Villa, Mr Mamman Daura.

According to reports, Mrs Buhari’s aides were later arrested by the police over the shooting and on Friday, in a series of tweets on Twitter, she appealed to the Inspector General of Police for their release.

The ugly incident has generated mixed reactions among Nigerians, with some saying Mr Buhari is not in charge of his family as well as the nation.

On Sunday evening, the presidency, in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, slammed critics over the issue, calling it “a minor occurrence.”

“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,” Mr Shehu said.

He said President Buhari has “authorized the proper investigation to be carried out into this unfortunate incident by the police,” stressing that “the President has acted in compliance with the rule of law.”

According to him, “the President says the law should be allowed to take its course.”

While acknowledging concerns expressed by several members of the public regarding the recent incident, he said, “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 any time in any form of danger arising, either from deadly infections or the reported incident by security personnel which is currently under investigation.”

Mr Shehu said the unfortunate incident happened outside the main residence of the President, adding that 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.