Ribadu: I Never Said Buhari Recruited Bandits to Oust Jonathan

A former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, yesterday said a statement alleging that President Muhammadu Buhari recruited bandits to oust former President Goodluck Jonathan was not authored by him.

The statement, which is spreading across social media and purportedly credited to Ribadu, gave an unverified account of the origin of banditry in the country.

It alleged that Buhari sought the services of the mercenaries, who were recruited from neighbouring countries, to claim power for the Fulani group in case he loses the 2015 presidential election.

The statement said the services of the bandits were no longer needed after Buhari won the election, forcing them to invade people’s homes for food and other basic needs.

Reacting in a statement yesterday, Ribadu dissociated himself from the report, saying the statement is not from him.

He said the statement was first shared in June 2019, adding that he released a disclaimer via his Twitter account on July 17.

The former EFCC chairman asked security agencies to investigate the origin of the message and prosecute those behind it. He also asked the public to disregard the message, which he described as “clear inanity and cheap blackmail”.

“But to my chagrin, over six months after the initial rebuttal, the manufacturers of the hateful message and their co-travelers, those who peddle whatever is capable of creating disaffection are back at it,” he said.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I have never at any time wrote or said those words being attributed to me. I have no knowledge of the details contained in the disjointed propaganda message in circulation and I urge the public to disregard it.