Security staff
at the Abuja House in London yesterday called in policemen to arrest a
correspondent of The Guardian who was on the premises to see President
Muhammadu Buhari and possibly interview him.
When the
correspondent told a member of staff at the Abuja House, the official residence
of the Nigerian High commissioner to the United Kingdom, yesterday afternoon
that he had come to see the president, he replied: “As far as I’m concerned,
he’s not here.”
At 2:50 p.m.,
when a black Mercedes jeep arrived, the occupant sitting by the driver rolled
down the glass and asked the Guardian correspondent, “Why are you here?” “When
I told him that l was a reporter with The Guardian and l had come to see if the
president was there and to interview him, he looked quite irritated and replied
angrily: ‘he’s not here, you can’t see anybody here.’ “
In an extraordinary move, two police officers, Constables Marlett and Stock, were called in by the security staff at the Abuja House to arrest the reporter. When both arrived on their motorcycles, they took the reporter’s name and date of birth and subsequently made a check on the national database, before staying around for about 20 minutes and then left.
Prior to that,
the security staff threatened the reporter with the police when he called at
the Kensington residence to interview President Buhari about his continued stay
in the UK.
A few minutes
after The Guardian arrived at the Abuja House, just after 1:00 p.m., wanting to
speak to the high commissioner, the reporter was directed to go to the Embassy-
Nigerian House at Northumberland Avenue. “Somebody should be there,” he was
told.
Around 1:20
p.m., when a man and a teenage-looking girl wearing glasses pressed the buzzer,
a security officer appeared to open the gate for the duo. When asked: “Is that
the daughter of the president?” – Judging by her resemblance of the First Lady-
the security officer replied: “I don’t know.” He then reiterated that the
reporter should go to the office at Northumberland Avenue.
When The
Guardian pressed the buzzer about five minutes later, the security man sounded
angry and threatened to call the police even when the reporter disclosed his
identity and said he had come to speak to the president or any member of staff
of the residence. “You should realize this is a private place and I will call
the police,” he said. When he was immediately corrected and told that the
reporter was standing outside in a public place, he then said:” l won’t speak
to you again.”
But around 1:40
p.m., when two guests arrived, the reporter shook hand with one of them and
asked, “Have you come to see Mr. President?” He replied cheerfully, saying
“yes”, but he didn’t enter the compound. He left about 15 minutes later.
Another
security officer came out shortly after and told the reporter to move away from
the main gate. “Excuse me, you can’t just stand here,” he said.
Senate
President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, was also at Abuja House, a strong indication that
Buhari may actually be there. At 5:13p.m., Saraki emerged from the house in a
black suit, accompanied by a male aide.
“Hello, Senate president, hello Senate president,” The Guardian said to him from outside the gate, before he entered an official car and was driven away.
Meanwhile,
Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has accused the leaders of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) of politicizing the health status of President
Buhari by their visitation to London which he described as “make-belief and too
much of eye-service.”
Fayose said he
had “temporarily suspended” his criticism of the president because of his
health challenges. The governor spoke on a live programme tagged; ‘Meet Your
Governor’ aired on the state-owned Ekiti Television and Radio Stations on
Saturday.
Fayose who
prayed for sound health for the president said his desire for a better Nigeria
accounted for why he had been criticizing the Federal Government when things
were not done the right way.
“I don’t have
any problem with the president; the only problem I have is with his handlers.
They will say something today and say another tomorrow. Anybody can fall
sick,” he said.
Besides, the
Anglican Bishop, Diocese of Lagos West, Rt. Revd. James Olusola Odedeji
yesterday cautioned Nigerians against wishing the president dead but rather
pray for his health and wellbeing so that he could succeed in delivering his
electoral promises to the nation.
Odedeji spoke
at the induction and installation of Venerable Adegoke Oludare Agara as the
Dean of Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral held at the church in
Ikeja, Lagos.
“It is unfortunate in this country that
Nigerians do hate their leaders. The rate at which people are willing to wish
the president of the country dead is alarming. What are we going to gain if he
dies?’’ He Said..
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