The Information Minister of Nigeria, Lai Mohammed, may have just turned voters opinion against current President Muhammadu Buhari after he claimed the government fed Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, aka Shiites, with at least N3.5 million.
El-Zakzaky has been detained since December 2015 after soldiers clamped down on his supporters killing at least 347 of them. The army accused them of blocking a public road being used then by the army chief, Tukur Buratai.
The massacre was highly condemned by local and international rights groups and is currently under investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Although no soldier is being tried or has been prosecuted for the killings, Mr El-Zakzaky has been detained by the government since the December 2015 incident. The government also ignored a court ruling that ordered that he be released and paid compensation alongside his detained wife, Zinat.
Mr El-Zakzaky was initially held for about two years alongside his wife, Zinat, without trial. After much public outcry, he was charged before a Kaduna court for alleged conspiracy and abating culpable homicide.
Mr Mohammed’s statement on the Shiite leader is believed to have been made on Wednesday, same day the Kaduna court denied Mr El-Zakzaky bail.
A video of Mr Mohammed making the claim while addressing some journalists has gone viral. Mr Mohammed did make the claim but had told journalists he was speaking off the record.
The video, however, still made its way to the public and has since gone viral, drawing wide criticisms of the minister.
“The issue of whether, where he (Mr El-Zakzaky) is, at least let’s keep it off record, that he is in a residence and you know eating at the… It costs the government about N3.5 million every month to feed him,” Mr Mohammed said.
Here is the video below:
Shame on @MBuhari , @ProfOsinbajo @APCNigeria
Lei Moh says It cause the Govt 3.5M Naira to feed Sh #Zakzaky every month.There is no liar worst than Lie.@zinadabo1 @Tutsy22@segalink @farooqkperogi @Amaka_Ekwo @AgorasBlog @adeyanjudeji @ELBINAWI @PremiumTimesng @ChidiOdinkalu pic.twitter.com/WqoJDp41XD— shuaib ahmad (@Sh4Zk) November 7, 2018
The information minister was at that point interjected by the transport minister, Rotimi Amaechi, who jokingly mocked the figures saying “then you people need to take me in o.”
Mr Mohammed, then defended the figure he announced, saying “Honestly, don’t quote me, but these are the facts.”
At this point Mr Amaechi joked further that he “can take N500,000” monthly to be held in prison by the government.
Mr Mohammed then briefly explained that he “asked” from relevant people to arrive at his information.
“So please. We don’t want to inflame passion. The issue is a very sensitive matter. But that is the situation. The Islamic Movement of Nigeria are a different kettle of fish,” he said.
Mr Mohammed’s claims of N3.5 million monthly also comes at a time the government is finding it difficult to pay a monthly minimum wage of N30,000 to workers.