•Suspects arrested •governor Alao-Akala wants to kill me, Alaafin alleges
From Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano and Zachaeus Somorin in Lagos, 07.12.2010
Photos Emir of kano,Alaafin of Oyo & Governor Alao aKala
The traditional ruler escaped assassination last Friday by a lone gunman who attempted to kill him during the Muslim Juma’at prayer in Kano.
The suspect, 19 year-old Usman Abubakar, who lives in the Doraji Quarters in Kano Metropolis, was however, apprehended by the Police before carrying out the act.
Also arrested is one Alhaji Abubakar Batakaye who allegedly asked Abubakar to carry out the act.
Abubakar told THISDAY at the Kano Police Command headquarters yesterday that he was sent by a Mallam (marabout) with a specific instruction to kill the emir.
“I arrived the mosque as early as 9 am that day. I was sent to the place of worship by a 65 year-old Mallam Abubakar Batakaye, a marabout with a specific instruction to kill the emir,” he told the newspaper.
He said Batakaye allegedly asked him to recite one of the verses in the Holy Quran, Qurisiyu, 12,000 times before the congregational prayers to ensure the success of the deadly assignment.
Abubakar also stated that the marabout gave him a small amulet to conceal inside his mouth in order for him to garner courage in executing the task and to mysteriously disappear after.
He said: “I regret this attempt to kill the emir; I seek for his forgiveness and pardon. I am under the influence of the mallam who directed me to commit this ugly act.
“I was influenced by the mallam who told me to commit the act. For over ten years, I have been an ally of the mallam and his order or directive for me is like a blessing.”
Spokesman of Kano Police Command, SP Baba Mohammed Azare, confirmed the story and the arrest of the duo, saying “the state commissioner of police has ordered immediate investigation of the matter and the investigating team will be led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. Lawal Tanko.
Also speaking with THISDAY, Batakaye denied ordering Abubakar to engage in the Emir’s murder.
“I have been attending that particular mosque for more 20 years without failing; I have a place reserved for me inside the mosque. I cannot think of attacking a monarch because our religion teaches us to regard them as the father of all,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi 111, has alleged that Oyo State Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala is planning to kill him.
The paramount ruler in a petition to President Goodluck Jonathan and the Inspector-General of Police alleged that the governor in collaboration with a prominent businessman in the ancient city of Oyo and a commander of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in the state hatched the plot to kill him in his palace.
He, however, said the plot failed because the collaborating senior police officer buckled at the last minute and reported the plot to him.
But reacting to the development, the governor denied the allegation, saying it should be discountenanced.
The governor’s Special Adviser, Media and Publicity Dotun Oyelade said: “Governor Akala discountenanced the so-called allegation as not only unfounded but a cooked up story much in line with the serial misinformation that the opposition has always engaged in
Alaafin remains the father of the governor from whom he draws profound wisdom.”
Police sources confirmed Alaafin’s petition to THISDAY, saying the Inspector-General of Police Ogbonna Onovo has ordered a high-level investigation into the alleged murder plot.
According to THISDAY checks, the directive to investigate the plot was complied with at the weekend as a team of investigators drawn from the cream of the intelligence community swung into action, visiting the SARS in Oyo and interrogating officers implicated by the petition.
In his petition, the monarch gave details of the alleged plot, claiming the governor and a businessman conspired with the senior police officer based in the town to invade his palace under the guise of seeking the arrest of suspects in the murder of the late Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo, Alhaji Azeez Adegbile, on April 4 this year.
He further alleged that the plan was to have him and other palace residents shot in the melee that was to ensue during the invasion.
Alaafin alleged that the senior SARS officer was recruited into the plot by the businessman, who provided him with logistics for the operation, including a brand new Toyota Hilux Jeep and N2million cash reward.
The officer, the monarch alleged, initially declined to participate in the plot but agreed to play along when the governor came into the picture and offered to raise the cash reward to N10million.
Oba Adeyemi stated that rather than carry out the plot, the police officer reported the murder plot to him, and that after his (the monarch’s) personal investigation showed that the plot was real, he decided to write the petition to the President.
The monarch further stated that when the plotters found that their plan had leaked to him and eventually failed, they enlisted the intervention of some prominent South-west traditional rulers and leaders of thought to pacify him.
The paramount ruler said that much as he respected his colleagues that sought to intervene, he could not accede to their overture because of the grave implication of the plot.
Oba Adeyemi, therefore, called on the President to investigate the murder plot and ensure that the plotters are brought to book.
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