President Muhammadu Buhari has declined to help his wife, Aisha get her aides released from police detention in Abuja.
They were arrested on Thursday in connection with a fracas involving gunshots at the Presidential Villa.
Since then, Aisha has mounted pressure on IGP Mohammed Adamu to release them.
In a statement that clearly rebuked her position, the president’s spokesman Garba Shehu, quoting President Buhari said: the law should be allowed to take its course.
The statement was a clear signal to the First Lady, that President Buhari will not intervene to get her aides freed.
They were arrested when one of them shot at Buhari’s special assistant Sabiu Yusuf, a.k.a Tunde Idiagbon last Thursday.
The fracas began when the First Lady’s Aide-de-camp, Usman Shugaba, attempted to force Yusuf into self -isolation over COVID-19 fears.
Yusuf had returned from Lagos to his residence near the Presidential Villa.
He went to Lagos to visit with his wife who had just delivered a baby.
He was also said to have met the late GMD of NNPC, Maikanti Baru, who died recently of COVID-19 related illness.
Yusuf refused to leave the Villa, despite the intervention of Aisha Buhari and three of her children.
In an attempt to arrest Yusuf, the First Lady’s ADC fired gunshots at him.
Yusuf escaped and returned to arrest the aides of Aisha Buhari.
The police are yet to release the aides. Aisha wanted them released or replaced immediately.
According to Vanguard, she reportedly told IGP: “You don’t play with the protection of the First Family”.
Here is the statement by Aso Rock on the matter:
The Presidency wishes to acknowledge concerns expressed by several members of the public regarding the recent incident among the occupants of the State House which escalation led to the arrest of some staff by the police.
This is to assure all and everyone that the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Muhammadu Buhari, is not, and was not at anytime in any form of danger arising, either from deadly infections or the reported incident by security personnel which is currently under investigation.
This particular incident happened outside the main residence of the President.
Armed guards and other security personnel assigned to the State House receive the necessary training of especially weapons handling and where they come short, their relevant agencies have their rules and regulations to immediately address them.
Having authorized the proper investigation to be carried out into this unfortunate incident by the Police, the President has acted in compliance with the rule of law.
That a minor occurrence is being used by some critics to justify attacks on the government and the person of President Muhammadu Buhari beggars belief.
In this particular instance, the President says the law should be allowed to take its course.