Buhari’s aide under fire over boast to free the rapist by influencing court judgement

By KAYODE OYERO

Nigerians have expressed dismay over the comments of Bashir Ahmad, Personal Assistant on New Media to the President, Maj-Gen Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on the ruling of a Federal High Court which convicted Yunusa Dahiru for the abduction and sexual abuse of Ese Oruru.

Many of them described his comments that he would contact those “capable” to influence the ruling as bigoted and paedophilic

The PUNCH reports that Justice Jane Inyang of the court sitting in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital on Thursday, sentenced Dahiru to 26 years in prison for criminal abduction, illicit sex, sexual exploitation, and unlawful carnal knowledge of the minor.

Ese, who was 13 years old at the time, was abducted on August 12, 2015 at her mother’s shop in Yenagoa by Dahiru aka Yellow and taken to Kano, where she was allegedly raped, forcibly converted to Islam and married off without her parents’ consent.

She was, however, reportedly rescued by the Kano State Police Command on February 29, 2016, and placed in government custody.

She was five months’ pregnant with her abductor’s child when freed.

Commenting on the matter via Twitter, Ahmad said on Friday in Hausa, “Dan uwa ba ni da wani karfi da Zan iya yin wani abu akan hukuncin da kotun ta yanke, Sai dai zan yi kokarin ganin na tuntubi wadanda nake ganin suna da karfin Ko Allah zai sa a dace.”

The Google Translate version of the tweet read, “I do not have the power to do anything against the judgment of the court. However, I will try to contact those whom I think are capable.”

He later deleted the tweet following wild reactions and criticisms expressing displeasures over his comments.

“I commented on the Yunusa Yellow saga earlier, without knowing and understanding the details of the case. Eloping or rather, kidnapping a minor and forcing her to marry you shouldn’t be taken lightly. A condemnable act!” Ahmad wrote a few moments later.

But disparaged by Ahmad’s first comments and rejoinder, Twitter users heaped criticisms on the President’s aide.

@HonorableToro tweeted, “If young Bashir Ahmad confessed that he has access to people who are capable of influencing the judgment of a competent court, we can now see how easy it was for this regime to steal our 2019 mandate at the ballot and also influence the Supreme Court to keep it.”

Another user @iamdlaw2, said, “In a sane country, Bashir Ahmad, PA to General Buhari won’t retain his job till the next day. They don’t regard us at all. What this Bigot here doesn’t know is that he won’t be in that position forever. Nigerians will never forget.”

@Ndfrek wrote, “If you need any proof that the judiciary under General Buhari’s regime is compromised, Bashir Ahmad’s tweet is your proof. 2023 cannot come soon enough.”

@PA_Nigeria stated, “He will contact people he knows to have the power to do something against the judgment on Yunusa who is a kidnapper, rapist, and child trafficker. This is a shame considering the position of Bashir unless the person he is contacting is the President.”

@MrOdanz said, “I can tell you for free that Ahmad Bashir knows everything about the Yunusa Yellow case and that is why he chose to reply in Hausa.”

@William_Ukpe said, “Bashir is the Chairman Emeritus, Arewa Twitter Rape Apologists. He knew what he was doing. He did not expect to be caught because he was dumb enough to think we don’t understand Hausa. He has said worse, and he will say worse.”

@MrFeral_ commented, “Bashir deliberately replied the tweet in Hausa. To hell with him and his lies, I have never been angrier in my life about a post.”

@Truthfully83 said, “Medicine after death. An afterthought after a wide range of bashings from Nigerians, for trying to use your position as SA media to @Mbuhari, in influencing the judiciary to soft-pedal on the case. @BashirAhmaad, go tell that to the dogs. Perception is worst than reality.” (Text, excluding headline, courtesy of The Punch)

• Convicted Yunusa Dahiru