Arrest of Ndume political – PDP
On November 26, 2011 · In News

By  HENRY UMORU,  Abuja
THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said yesterday that the arrest and subsequent arraignment of Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, PDP, Borno South by the State Security Service, SSS in connection with the dreaded Boko Haram sect has political undertone.

Borno State chapter of the party made this known yesterday.

According to PDP, Senator Ndume, who dumped All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP for the party was being persecuted for political reasons because of what the PDP termed his huge influence in the politics of Borno South Senatorial district.

Briefing newsmen at the PDP National Secretariat, Abuja,[b] a chieftain of the party in the state and former House of Representatives Minority Leader, Mohammed Kumalia also called for the immediate arrest of the former Governor of the State, Ali Modu Sherrif if the country must get to the remote and immediate cause of the Boko Haram sect.

Kumalia who spoke on behalf of the PDP, Borno State, said,it has become a common knowledge that Modu Sheriff had a pact with members of the Boko Haram when he was the Borno state governor, adding that the relationship led to the appointment of the Secretary General of the sect a commissioner in his cabinet before he fell out with members of the sect.

“Assuming, without conceding, that what Ali Sauda Umar Konduga (a.k.a Usman al-Zawahiri) said was true why have they SSS not invited or arrested former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff after all his name was mentioned severally by Konduga and even the Spokesperson of SSS. He has been walking the streets a free man is he untouchable? Kumalia debunked reports that the PDP has link with the Boko Haram sect, just as he condemned the handling of the case by the SSS and accused the security outfit of bias.
[/b]
Senator, Mohammed Ali Ndume, PDP, Borno South was recently arraigned in court by the SSS, following claims by detained spokesman of the sect, that the lawmaker is one of their financiers.

He called on the Federal Government to look into what led to the present violent position of the sect, calling for the immediate prosecution of all those that gave directives for the extra-judicial killing of the founder of the sect, Mohammed Yusuf; his father-in-law and Alhaji Buji Foi.

jmaine:

They prolly had substantial evidence to hook Ndume ( call logs) and they took him up . . . Everything is ascribed to politics in Nigeria . . .

The question is: Is Ndume guilty of the said offense . .If yes, then why cry politics . . . He should face the music . . . They should stop whining and seek to accommodate what would befall anyone with links to this trouble makers . . .PDP complaining of bias . . now that's funny and interesting as well

Gbawe:

Indeed Ndume should face interrogation but why not ponder if it makes sense for Sheriff to remain free when he was mentioned directly as a sponsor by the same man who gave the testimony that led to the quick detention and arraignment of Ndume. Does it make sense to you that a possible sponsor of Boko Haram , identified and named publicly, is at large with the attendant consideration that he could abet more acts of terrorism?

Man mi, it makes no sense whatsoever. Let us put partisan support aside for a minute. This stinks of playing politics and you know it because nothing else can justify how the SSS is now choosing who to arrest and not arrest , from names revealed by the same source, over a serious issue such as terrorism.

Gbawe:

Indeed Ndume should face interrogation but why not ponder if it makes sense for Sheriff to remain free when he was mentioned directly as a sponsor by the same man who gave the testimony that led to the quick detention and arraignment of Ndume. Does it make sense to you that a possible sponsor of Boko Haram , identified and named publicly, is at large with the attendant consideration that he could abet more acts of terrorism?

Man mi, it makes no sense whatsoever. Let us put partisan support aside for a minute. This stinks of playing politics and you know it because nothing else can justify how the SSS is now choosing who to arrest and not arrest , from names revealed by the same source, over a serious issue such as terrorism.

Boko Haram leader’s revelation rattles PDP

Umaru Konduga AliFile
There are signs that the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has been unsettled by the revelation of the convicted spokesman of Boko Haram, Umaru Konduga Ali, that the violent Islamic sect was working for the party’s interest in Borno State.

The sect has claimed responsibility for the spate of bombings in Maiduguri and other parts of the North for nearly one year.



Ali, who bore the pseudo name, Usman Al-Zawahiri, had told the State Security Service during interrogation, that the sect had sent frightening text messages to judges at the Borno State Election Petitions Tribunal in order to intimidate them.

Besides, he had alleged that a PDP senator, Ali Ndume, was one of the sect’s sponsors.

The PDP had filed a petition against the election of Governor Kashim Shettima of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, shortly after the April general elections.

However, a national officer of the PDP, who spoke on these developments on Friday, said that with the revelation, Nigerians would have the impression that the party was responsible for the national security challenge posed by the Boko Haram attacks.

The source, who craved anonymity, said, "It is unfortunate. Though the claim cannot be said to be genuine, the mere mentioning of members of the PDP as sponsors of the group is damaging.

"Now, we have been painted as the one trying to undermine the government of President Goodluck Jonathan, who is our national leader.

"It is like we are the one working against our own government. It is a serious allegation, which may affect the impression that people have about us."

Following the threat, the election tribunal relocated to Abuja, where it delivered ruling in favour of the ANPP.

Al-Zawahiri, had pleaded guilty before an Abuja Chief Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, when he was arraigned and was consequently convicted.

Besides the election tribunal members, Ali said that the governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, and his counterpart in Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, were others that were threatened through text messages.

Other recipients of threat text messages, the former Boko Haram sect spokesman said, were Senator Sanusi Daggash (former Minister of Works) and Ambassador Dalhatu Tafida, Nigeria’s ambassador to the United Kingdom.

On Boko Haram’s relationship with Ndume, Ali, who is not literate in English language, alleged that some of the said text messages were written and sent to him by Ndume.

But Ndume, who has been in the National Assembly since 1999, and being tried for treason on account of Ali’s allegations against him, pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against him.

While the image crisis arising from Ali and Ndume’s trial persists, the ANPP in Abuja told SATURDAY PUNCH that the development had vindicated it.

The ANPP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Emma Eneukwu, said the revelation had shown that the PDP was desperate to get power at all costs.

He said when the leadership of his party raised the alarm concerning the incessant killings of members of the party in Borno and Yobe states, some Nigerians thought they were crying wolf where none existed.

He said, "We said it before that the Boko Haram issue was a political mischief in the hands of some people. We lost a lot of our members in Borno State, including our governorship candidate.

"We cried out that some political leaders were out to kill and eliminate our members for political reasons. It was surprising that nothing was done by the security agencies then.

"Ndume was our member before he defected to the PDP. He was the Minority Leader in the House of Representatives under the umbrella of the ANPP.

"The mere mentioning of his name baffled us. But we are not worried because the PDP wants power at all costs. It is so bad.

"But we will continue to appeal to the people to be law-abiding and allow peace to reign."

The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Prof. Rufai Alkali, declined comments on the issue, when contacted on Thursday.

"No, not now, we are going to talk later. But remember that the matter is before the court. So, let the law take its course," he had snapped at a briefing on Tuesday.

However, the Chairman of the PDP in Borno State, Alhaji Baba Basharu, in an interview with our correspondent, debunked the ANNP claim. He said the PDP must not be blamed for ANPP members’ killings in the state.

He said at no point did the party take over Boko Haram, adding that the killings were not an indication of the party’s collaboration with the sect.

He said, "Boko Haram’s grudge was against former Governor Ali Sheriff. They were against Sheriff, his government, his party and his people as well as warders and policemen, who they said killed their leaders."

On the linking of Ndume to the sect’s activities, he said the senator joined the party shortly before the election when he knew it would be difficult for him to realise his political ambition in the ANPP.

He, however, insisted that "Ndume is a credible person" and that the party did not believe the allegations made against him.

Though Al-Zawahiri had been convicted, Ndume was remanded in the SSS custody as investigations into his case had yet to be concluded.

But Chief Magistrate Oyewumi ruled that the senator should be allowed unhindered access to medical facilities and his team of lawyers. Ndume had earlier told the court that he was invited by the SSS on Monday and that he never thought he would pass the night there.

He had stated that he had prostate health challenges.

His lawyer, Mr. C.I. Nnaemeka, brought an oral application praying the court to admit his client to bail, being a serving senator, but the magistrate asked him to apply for bail formally.

The matter has been adjourned till December 6, 2011 for hearing.

Lagos_Boi:

Ex-Governors, Senators are involved in this BoKO-Saga, I am not surprised at all. Powerful politicians and boko haram, is there any hope at all that boko haram members will ever face justice?. Where is this country heading to?

dustydee:

PDP members accusing PDP of political arrests and intimidation.     

Demdem:

Zawahiri's testimony is clear. Modu sheriff not yet implicated. As soon as he is, he should be arrested.
Besides, Modu sheriff is obj's friend, the retardeen mentor. It will be dificult to arrest him without very concrete reasons.

THE self-acclaimed chief spokesman of the dreaded Boko Haram sect, Ali Sanda Umar Konduga, popularly known in media circles as Usman Al-Zawahiri, has been

nabbed by the Department of State Security Service (SSS), just as he opened up on those backing the sect.

Fielding questions from newsmen at the SSS headquarters in Abuja, on Monday, Umar named former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff, the late Ambassador Sheidu Pinda and serving Senator Ali Ndume, both of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the real brains behind the group in Borno State.

Gbawe:

Not true. Konduga actually names Sheriff as directly as he identified Ndume and Pinda as those who are the main brains behind Boko Haram. There is no two ways about it. Sheriff is implicated directly[b] same as Ndume[/b]. Remember[b] we have always seen this in Nigeria[/b] with how some continue to remain 'untouchable' by virtue of their connections to the highest echelon of power even when implicated directly of misdeed.

http://www.tribune.com.ng/index.php/front-page-news/31593-modu-sheriff-ndume-pindar-behind-boko-haram-sect-spokesman-opens-can-of-worms-jtf-arrests-13-over-yobe-bombings-how-we-sent-threat-messages-to-obj-govs-aliyu-lamido-others

Rad1cal:

No one said is purely about politics but we all know there is a political fragment of the Boko Haram and that what this thread is about. The radical religious faction is still a work in progress if the SSS is really working. . Wonder why we chose to jump into conclusions quickly

Gbawe:

My take is that anyone can jump on board the Boko Haram train once they are ready to use Islamic fundamentalism to gain their agenda. It is not really important to make a distinction between polical and religious Boko Haram because events remain fluid and interchangeable.

texazzpete:

Gbawe,
At best, this is naive. The 'Political' Boko Haram are of little more threat than the usual armed robbers and kidnappers we contend with in other parts of the country, just like the thugs that killed Bola Ige, Marshal Harry and Funsho Williams.

The Boko Haram that carried out the suicide UN bombings have the potential to be extremely dangerous. They've reached out to Al Qaeda for more training and materiel and they probably are gearing up for an increased and more vicious bombing campaign. You've seen their demands. They cannot be reasoned with.

Any Government that will not (or cannot) make a distinction between glorified political touts and the real deal die-hard Al Qaeda leaning jihadists should hang their heads in shame. The same should go for the ordinary citizens  out there.