The State Security Service has summoned a serving
Senator, Ahmed Zanna, over his alleged involvement with the violent Islamic
sect, Boko Haram.
The summons is in connection with the arrest last
week of a suspected member of the group, Shuaibu Bama, in a house believed to
be the senator’s.
The Joint Task Force had arrested Bama in the
building along Damboa Road in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, last Friday
after soldiers stormed the House.
The JTF had claimed that Bama was one of the
commanders of the sect, who had been under watch.
Zanna, who represents Borno-Central Senatorial
District, confirmed the summons to newsmen on Sunday.
He admitted being aware of a text message from the
Director-General of the SSS, Mr. Ekpenyong Ita, inviting him to the SSS
headquarters on Monday (today).
Zanna stated that since the incident occurred he had
not been contacted by security agencies until Sunday.
“Since my house was searched and the JTF made the
announcement, I have not been contacted by security agencies.
“But it was only this morning (Sunday), I saw a text
that the SSS DG will want to see me on Monday. I will honour the invitation”,
he said.
The senator denied that Bama had any links with the
sect, though he admitted that he was his sister’s son.
He described Bama as a “drug addict”, who frequently
threatened to kill members of his family.
He claimed that due to his behaviour, he had to send
him out of his house, but could not explain how he found his way back to his
house last week.
The senator also claimed that Bama was arrested in
the house of a former governor of the state, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, contrary
to the report by the JTF.
When asked why the JTF linked Bama with him instead
of Sheriff, the senator responded that it was a frame-up to pay him back for
constantly attacking the JTF in the media.
He said, “Contrary to the claim of the JTF, the boy
was arrested in Rabi Street, off Damboa Road. And the house belongs to Senator
Ali Modu Sheriff.
“Before, the house belonged to one Abba Mala, a
Cameroonian. And later he sold it to the late Tijjani Banki and Sheriff bought
from Tijjani Banki.
“I reacted because they said they arrested the boy
in the house of a serving Senator along Damboa Road and I am the one living
along Damboa road.
“I really do not understand why they did all this. I
am confused. If they want to frame me up, they have failed in that one because
they did not get that boy in my house.
“I have nothing to do with it. Let them go and ask
the person where the boy was staying. So, they should not have mentioned my
house.
“Yes, he is my sister’s son. As for his behaviour,
he is a drug addict. He beats up my children, he abuses my friends.
“He came to my house, so I sent him away. That was
about almost a year ago. And for whatever reason I don’t know, he came to my
house last week and I told my wife that he should leave the house.”
Culled from Sahara reporters
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