Former militant leader, Ateke Tom has denied a rokbery suspect, Zakeri Isiaka who claimed to be one of his protégés.

In a statement signed by his media aide, Ifeanyi Ogbonna, Ateke said he had never come in contact with the robbery suspect.

Isiaka who was arrested for suspected robbery and kidnappings had claimed to be Ateke’s ‘boy’.

But the former militant has claimed that none of the members of his group engages in criminality.

“My attention has been drawn to Saturday Punch Newspaper and other social media publications of 5th November, 2016, that one Zakeri Isiaka, a native of Odu-Ochelle in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, who is in police custody for armed robbery, kidnapping, political thuggery and other related offences, said he is my boy and was with me during the Niger Delta struggle.

“The guy’s face is not familiar. My boys even during and after the struggle are not into criminality but we were focused on the aims and objectives of the struggle which is the need for the Federal Government’s presence in our region.

“After the amnesty, we laid down our arms and focused on working with the government. During my days in the struggle, I met a lot of persons but for the said Zakeri Isiaka, I have never met him not to talk about knowing him,”

Azeez