Angry youths in Ningi town, Bauchi State, on Saturday, attacked Senator Isah Misau, a supporter of Senate President Bukola Saraki.The youths’ anger was ignited by his support for Saraki, whose latest move to evade prosecution for false assets declaration has come in the form of a bill to amend the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, which has made it possible for judges to accelerate criminal trials in Nigeria.
One of the youths at the scene of the attack told SaharaReporters that the incident occurred at about 4:45 pm at Manu Primary School in the town. He stated that anger against Misau, who was attending to a bereaved friend, increased when a prominent local politician, Ali Ibrahim Dogare, took the microphone to tell the audience that Misau had betrayed his people by supporting Saraki, who is viewed as an enemy of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The source further told our reporter that the youths had started mobilizing as early as 1 pm when Misau arrived in the town for a ceremony, which was scheduled for 11 am. He explained that the youths were angry with Misau because he owes his electoral victory to the popularity of Buhari, but has now queued behind the Senate President, who is viewed as the intended beneficiary of proposed amendments to the Code of Conduct Bureau and Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) Act. Saraki is currently facing trial before the CCT.
According to the source, Misau, the son of an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, who died during the National Conference organized by Goodluck Jonathan administration, had not visited the town since winning his election. He said that things got uglier when three youngsters physically rough-handled the Senator, who fled and was later saved from the youths by the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the locality. The party chieftain was said to have smuggled him out of the area in a small car. While being driven away, with the youths chasing the vehicle and hurling objects, Misau was said to have kept promising to change his ways.
The Senator, who had reportedly arrived in a four-car convoy, had two of his cars damaged by the mob, which was later dispersed by soldiers by discharging gunshots into the air.
When SaharaReporters spoke to Senator Misau, he denied that he was physically attacked in Ningi, instead saying there was fighting by youths in the area over money he gave to them. People in attendance, however, described his version of the events as an invention.
Asked why he was supporting the bill to weaken prosecution of corruption, Misau said he was unaware of the full ramifications of the bill, which was sponsored by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi from Delta State, and that he is still in the process of consulting his constituents.