by Chidi Okoye

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that the inability of President Goodluck Jonathan to investigate and prosecute alleged Boko Haram sponsor, Ali Modu Sheriff with other accused, is as a result of his level of friendship with them.

The party also accused the presidency of being economical with the truth in its response to the widespread condemnation of his trip with Sheriff to Chad.

In an email sent from Dubai on Friday, the APC’s spokesman, Lai Mohammed, the party said the presidency’s stout defence of Sheriff’s presence at President Jonathan’s meeting with host President Idris Deby of Chad, and the fact that the presidency’s statement was coordinated with the one by Sheriff’s spokesman, has shown that it is right to have called for the trial of Sheriff and other alleged Boko Haram sponsors by the International Criminal Court (ICC), instead of the Nigerian security agencies which are under the Jonathan spell.

“The presidency said the security agencies are investigating Sheriff and that the President will not interfere, but what message was the President sending to the security agencies by circulating the picture of the accused with himself? Is that a subtle message to the security agencies that the accused is a friend of the President hence he is untouchable?

“The presidency said Sheriff has a long standing business in Chad. Is the presidency not aware of the memo sent home by the Nigerian Defence Adviser in Chad concerning Sheriff? Why didn’t the presidency tell Nigerians whether or not the investigation recommended by the Defence Adviser over Sheriff’s alleged sponsorship of Boko Haram was ever carried out, and if so what was the outcome?” the APC queried.

Emmanuel Chidiogo