I wasn’t shot for breaching protocol to meet Buhari –Graduate

Thirty-year-old  Mohammed Jemilu  has denied reports he was  shot by the security detail of the  President, Major General  Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), for  allegedly breaching   security  protocol to ‘attack’ the Nigerian leader in Argungu, Kebbi State, on Thursday.

Addressing reporters in Birnin Kebbi on Friday, Jemilu, a  graduate of Management Science, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto,    said   his intention was to  demonstrate his love  for  Buhari, not to harm him.

The Birnin Kebbi native said, “What happened yesterday (Thursday)  was a result of the emotional love I have for President Buhari.

“I was moved by emotion to meet Mr President despite the security architecture. But I am sorry for the disturbances I caused. It was due to my emotional love  for  President Buhari, who is a man of integrity, honesty and righteousness.

“From 2015 till date, nobody has questioned him about his ability to manage both natural and human resources of this country,  he has never squandered our commonwealth.

“I can tell you,  even if I had died yesterday,  I would be happier that I had achieved my ambition to meet Mr President one-on-one, that was what happened.

“I would like to use this opportunity to state that, none of the security agencies maltreated me. I am alive, I was not shot, the DSS (Department of State Services)  never tortured me.

 “When I was taken to the car, nobody tortured me. I was given food and I walked to this place by myself.”

Jemilu dismissed  claims that he took the action because of poverty, saying  although he was  unemployed, he had built a house, married about seven months ago and had been struggling to survive.

The  Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who described the incident as mere breach of protocol, said Jemilu  was  one of   Buhari  and Governor Atiku Bagudu’s die-hard  supporters.

Bagudu, who presented a book to Jemilu, said  they would  arrange for  the young man to  meet  with the  President for handshakes in Aso Rock.

Meanwhile, the  Peoples Democratic Party on Friday called for investigation into the incident.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement  said  the investigation was necessary  because of the  conflicting reports on the development.

Ologbondiyan said, “The PDP is however worried that the security lapses around Mr President, leading to the breach, further shows the poor handling of security issues by the Presidency, which also spectacles in the ineffective management of overall national security under the current administration.”