Bafarawa: Persecution or nemesis?

It is my conviction that Nigeria should start its fight against corruption on a clean slate, because if investigations should be extended to past governments, no one would probably be spared save few, and in the process chaos is simply unpreventable. It would also do state governments a lot of good if they discountenance probes, […]

It is my conviction that Nigeria should start its fight against corruption on a clean slate, because if investigations should be extended to past governments, no one would probably be spared save few, and in the process chaos is simply unpreventable. It would also do state governments a lot of good if they discountenance probes, because probes could be very distracting. Probe though, did not lead to Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa’s arraignment last Wednesday in Sokoto, and thanks that hardly can one justifiably point an accusing finger at the present administration in the state over the unfortunate quandary of Sokoto’s erstwhile governor.     

I personally put the blame for Bafarawa’s travails squarely on the doorstep of the former governor. First, his stringent media interviews in which he continuously challenged the EFCC and by extension the nation that he is as clean and blameless as anything, more or less stirred the hornet’s nest. It was believed that Bafarawa escaped the wrath of the EFCC immediately after he vacated the throne, because of the convivial relationship his late political godchild, Senator Sule Yari Gandi, enjoyed with Malam Nuhu Ribadu. This is because, Nuhu’s successor at EFCC, Malam Lamurde was believed to have considered Bafarawa’s arraignment until his removal from office.      

The case against Bafarawa is so grievous that it took Farida Waziri a year or so to scrutinize before finally taking the plunge of arrest and arraignment. People are still asking why should Bafarawa be taken to Sokoto when his governor-colleagues thus far arrested by the EFCC were never taken to their states except of course James Ibori, whose case was quashed by a Federal High Court in his home state of Delta. But we have forgotten that none of those arrested was as outspoken of his innocence as Bafarawa. In fact all of them were released in very strange and embarrassing circumstances of plea-bargain, which compels the governors to trade sizeable sum of the stolen money for freedom.

Bafarawa has consistently denied owning properties abroad but impeccable sources have it that late Sidi Mamman’s house bought in the early 1980s now belongs to Alhaji Bafarawa. It is the same place previously used by some of late Mamman’s friends and relations as students and residents in the UK.     

Bafarawa’s case is thus that of the proverbial bird that calls for the rain only for the rains to come and sweep it away. Since handing over to Aliyu Wamakko in 2007, Bafarawa has, probably in an attempt to go into the record books as the most magnanimous governor, revealed then that he left a whopping N13bn in the state’s coffers. Afraid that this would paint a wrong picture by pushing the people into making some unguided expectations on his administration, governor Wamakko quickly denied that the ex-governor had left any amount much less close to that figure. Wamakko had in fact gone ahead to close down that said account with the little money left in it.

In his recent interview granted Sunday Trust, Bafarawa did not mince words as he castigated the Sokoto State governor. Every word in that interview was a pointer to Bafarawa’s foreknowledge of his present travails. He was unequivocal in the interview that he stopped short of admitting the sins he is accused of committing. One thus gets the impression that Bafarawa would give up himself for trial should governor Wamakko be roped in as well.

I was thus scared stiff to hear that EFCC will arraign Bafarawa in Sokoto, knowing how volatile the city can be, and thinking that people might have gullibly swallowed the media propaganda. But to my utter surprise, I neither witnessed nor read a single media report of any people’s revolt for the EFCC’s action in solidarity with Bafarawa, a pointer to people’s decision to allow him and his cohorts to carry their own cross. I have instead gathered that some of the people arraigned alongside Bafarawa were overheard in the courtroom apportioning blame of their arrest and humiliation on him. It is rather unfortunate that this setback has befallen Alhaji Bafarawa at this moment in his political career when his entry into the league of Nigeria’s men of integrity, led by the hugely popular General Muhammadu Buhari, was just about to be cemented. Is this then a test of character, the failure of which would definitely put paid to Bafarawa’s political career?

One in a glasshouse does not throw stones at others. If Alhaji Bafarawa knew he had no defenses against the mountain of allegations on his neck, he shouldn’t have extended any invitation to any government agency. He also should never have flaunted that holier-than-thou stance which obviously has provoked the gods. But like I said, this is no celebration time for the people of Sokoto and indeed Nigeria.

 Abdulkadir contributed this article from Gawon Nama in Sokoto, and can be reached on [email protected]