Look elsewhere for your luciferous libel on VP Shettima — MURIC tells Atiku’s aide

On Sunday, a faith-based human rights group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), refuted the malicious statement by Mr Phrank Shuaibu, an aide to former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, that VP Kashim Shettima aided Boko Haram insurgency and abduction of Chibok girls while he was governor of Borno state.

However, MURIC has come to the defence of Shettima’s innocence of the allegation, saying it is not only baseless but also false, malicious, odious and insidious.

It maintained that VP Shettima, after doing all within his scope to halt Boko Haram insurgency, decried on the President Jonathan-led administration for better equipment of federal troops with enhanced ammunition, but rather for the central government to reason along with the upsurging insurgency that was about to overthrow the government, it replied with a threat to withdraw its troops.

“It is on record that former President Goodluck Jonathan threatened to withdraw federal troops from Borno State when Shettima as the state governor complained of a glaring lackadaisical approach from the federal government to the Boko Haram saga. He asked if Shettima would be able to stay in the government house if he withdrew federal troops.

Threatening to withdraw federal troops from Borno state, the angry former President replied, “I will pull them out for one month whether he (Shettima) will stay in that his Government House. But, if he thinks what he said is correct then I will pull out the armed forces for one month.”

“VP Shettima had complained to the visiting president that Boko Haram was gaining the upper hand in the region because Nigerian soldiers are not well armed. But an angry Jonathan gave him the cold response above (https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/155704-jonathan-slams-borno-governor-over-comment-on-boko-haram.html?tztc=1). It was more than a response. It was a threat. It was like, ‘Behave, or I will unleash them on you,” the statement read.

MURIC also cleansed VP Shettima on the alleged involvement in the Chibok Girls’ kidnapping, reiterating that ex-president Jonathan was more deemed to be faulted for remaining indifferent to the abduction for more than two weeks.

“We are equally miffed by Phrank Shuaibu’s allegation that VP Shettima aided the kidnapping of the Chibok girls. It is on record that former President Jonathan refused to act for nineteen (19) days after the abduction of the poor girls (https://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/05/president-goodluck-jonathans-fallouts-chibok/). It is therefore the zenith of mischief for Atiku’s aide to accuse Shettima of involvement in the ugly incident,” the group added.