Insecurity: Group chides Senate over inclusion of alleged terrorist sponsor, Abaribe in probe panel

The Coalition for Nigeria has rejected the inclusion of the lawmaker representing Abia-South, Enyinnaya Abaribe, in the Senate’s adhoc committee on security challenges, describing it as an “abomination”.

The group alleges that there are overwhelming evidence indicting Mr Abaribe as sponsor of proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and a known ally of its fugitive leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, Convener/National President, Patriot Sabo Odeh, said it is morally unacceptable, an attempt which may jeopardise the military with the inclusion of Abaribe, a “known terrorist sympathiser”.

Recall that the Abia lawmaker stood in as shorty for Kanu in 2017 and only recently called on President Muhammadu Buhari to resign over security concerns.

Abaribe shouldn’t be placed in such critical position, as the Coalition believes that he has openly displayed hatred, disdain and total lack of patriotism in his financially induced sponsorship of bills and motions to pull the administration down.

The group, therefore, said it totally rejects the Senator Abaribe led committee, which according to them is “ a charade, premeditated evil and a clear sign that the Senate is out to ruin the efforts of the Buhari led administration”.

Read full statement below:

Gentlemen of the press, we have cause to invite you here today because that which should not be mentioned has been named. An abomination has been committed.

What we are talking about is the inauguration of Senator Eyinaya Abaribe as a member of the Senate ad-hoc Committee on Security Challenges. This is an aberration knowing this federal lawmaker’s role in the insecurity plaguing the country.

Going by court documents that showed he stood surety for a fugitive terrorist Senator Abaribe is a known terrorist sponsor and an unrepentant one at that. He stood surety for a terrorist kingpin in the name of Nnamdi Kanu who jumped bail in Nigeria and working from abroad to destabilize the country.

For a man who could back a terrorist in court, one can only wonder at the level and nature of support he has offered members of the terrorist Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the background.

As proof that he is unrepentant, Senator Abaribe only recently abused the sanctity of a parliamentary chamber when he used the Senate call for the resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari. We later found out that rather than being a response to any security situation, the senator’s call was ploy to effect regime change to facilitate the enthronement of a pro-IPOB government.

Abaribe has shown his open hatred, disdain and total lack of patriotism in his financially induced sponsorship of bills and motions to pull the administration down.

This is the man that Senator Ahmed Lawan, the Senate President has deemed necessary to head a sensitive national assignment like the ad-hoc Committee to review security issues in Nigeria.

This is quite unfortunate and a clear sign that the Senate has failed this nation..

The nation cannot survive if such treachery is rewarded with a sensitive security appointment as the senate has done.

It is even more dangerous when Security Chiefs are to interact with the committee and make their plans known to the Senate on how they are confronting the issues of insurgency which Abaribe’s group, IPOB has contributed largely to in the country. There is every reason to think, know and believe without being told that it will be as good as the security agencies exposing her plans to IPOB and Boko Haram terrorists.

We consequently and out rightly and totally reject the Senator Abaribe led committee as inaugurated by the Senate. It is a charade, premeditated evil and a clear sign that the Senate is out to ruin the efforts of the Buhari led administration. The committee can only make pro-terrorist findings and come up with recommendations that will worsen the security situation in Nigeria in a way that favours the balkanization of the county in line with IPOB’s manifesto.

Therefore we demand that Senator Abaribe be excluded from the committee immediately.

If the Senate President fails to do that then Nigerians should not bother herself with the committee as it will yield no result but another jamboree to cover the 37 billion naira being expended on renovation of office complex by the National Assembly.