Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The First Lady, Aisha Buhari is allegedly at war with a close aide of President Muhammadu Buhari, for getting her ADC and other staff arrested after the said aide reportedly disregarded COVID-19 guideline at Presidential Villa upon return from a private trip to Lagos.
She has therefore called on the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to release her “assigned staff who are still in the custody of the Police in order to avoid putting their lives in danger or exposure to COVID-19 while in their custody.”
She has also charged relevant government agencies to enforce the Quarantine Act signed by President Muhammadu Buhari in March and ensure no one is found violating it and the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) guidelines.
According to an online news portal, trouble started on Monday when Buhari’s Personal Assistant and Private Secretary, Sabiu ‘Tunde’ Yusuf, returned from a private trip to Lagos where he had journeyed to alongside others from Daura, Kano and Abuja to spend the weekend.
Yusuf, upon his return was asked by President Buhari’s Aide De Camp, Mohammed Lawal Abubakar, Chief Personal Security Officer, Abdulkarim Dauda, to self-isolate in order to protect the President and the entire State House Staff since he had earlier met with recent contacts of late former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Maikanti Baru, who died from Coronavirus related complications. Yusuf, reportedly refused to self-isolate as advised but rather got the First Lady’s ADC, Escort Commander and other policemen attached to the first family, who reportedly tried to ensure he observed the COVID-19 guideline arrested.
Mrs. Buhari in her verified twitter handle @aishambuhari, tweeted: “That COVID-19 is real and still very much around in our nation is not in doubt. Consequently, I call on all relevant Government Agencies to enforce the Quarantine Act signed by Mr. President and ensure no one is found violating this law and the NCDC guidelines.
“Especially on interstate travel without the necessary exemptions for movement of essentials. Anyone who does that should at the very least be made to under go a 14 days mandatory isolation no matter who the person is, no one should be above the law and the Police command will do well to remember that.
“Finally, I call on the IGP to release my assigned Staff who are still in the custody of the Police in order to avoid putting their lives in danger or exposure to COVID-19 while in their custody.”