MAKIA: I never assaulted airport official – Yari

 Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja

This was even as Yari demanded that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), retract its offensive tweets regarding the incidence and tender an apology for the falsehood peddled against him.

Yari in a statement by his media consultant, Mayowa Oluwabiyi, said although he did use the airport on the said date, but such incidence never occurred.

Recall that FAAN had on Wednesday in a series of tweets, condemned Yari’s action for violating COVID-19 directive at the airport.

FAAN further alleged that Yari refused to adhere to the protocols and procedures put in place by the Federal Government through the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 by forcefully pushing away an officer of the Environment Department when he insisted that Yari’s luggage must be disinfected.

But Oluwabiyi said: “The attention of H.E Abdulaziz Yari, the former Governor of Zamfara State has been drawn to a tweet posted on Wednesday, 15th July, 2020 on the official Twitter account of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) that alleges that the ex-governor assaulted an airport official on Saturday 11th July, 2020 at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano.

“We wish to state categorically that H.E Abdulaziz Yari did pass through the MAKIA on the said day, but did not assault any airport official. He also  followed all the COVID-19 preventive protocols set by FAAN.

“The incident cited in the tweet simply never happened.

“H.E Abdulaziz Yari finds the tweet odious and distasteful, he therefore demands that FAAN retract the offensive tweet and tender an immediate public apology to him for the falsehood published about his person.”

Yari also noted the unwarranted and needlessly vicious attack on his person and reputation by the former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-kayode, on his Twitter handle, @realffk as a result of the tweet from FAAN.

Yari affirmed that he was a law-abiding Nigerian who will never indulge in violence on any issue.

“We wish to re-affirm that H.E Abdulaziz Yari, the former governor of Zamfara state is a law-abiding Nigerian who will never resort to violence on any issue whatsoever.

“H.E Yari holds the Federal Government of Nigeria in very high esteem and supports all steps taken by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to fight the deadly pandemic.

“However, the vicious attack on the person and reputation of H.E Abdulaziz Yari cannot be winked at,” Oluwabiyi added.

Yari however disclosed that Fani-kayode will hear from his lawyers in due course in order to set the record straight.