Nigerians have reacted angrily against the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar, for describing the men who rescued a security guard he assaulted at Banex Plaza in Abuja as Biafra boys.
The CCT chairman, Umar, was caught on camera physically brutalising a security guard at the Banex Plaza for asking him to park his vehicle well. The simple instruction infuriated Umar who descended on the security guard with punches and kicks. This was after some of the men in his convoy had severally slapped the security guard.
The traders at Banex Plaza, unable to bear the dehumanizing treatment of the security guard by Umar, started booing and hauling objects at the convoy of the CCT chairman.
Perhaps, feeling embarrassed and to save face, Umar reportedly asked the information officer of CCT, Ibraheem Al-Hassan, to issue a statement alleging that he was the victim of an assault in the hands of some ‘Biafran Boys.’
The CCT spokesman, under pressure to satisfy his boss’s demand, churned out a statement that broke all the rules of the English language.
The statement reads:
“Our attention was drawn on a report from some online publication with a video cliff suggesting Hon Chairman, Justice Danladi Y. Umar assaulted a Security Guard at Banex Plaza.
“To start with, the said plaza has been his usual place of visits for the past 18 years for shopping and repairs of his phones, and in all these periods there have never been any time he had any turmoil with anybody.
“Unfortunately, yesterday’s altercations started over a packing lot, which Chairman met vacant and it was directly opposite a shop he want to make a purchase and to fixe his phone, when the young Security guard sighted him, he ordered that Chairman should not pack his car in that particular empty space, but Chairman asked why, the security guard couldn’t convinced chairman, though Chairman didn’t identify himself, because to him is needless and is a place he visited often, but the boy was rode in his approached and threaten to deal with Chairman if he refuse to leave the scene.
“Again, if Chairman had went there to cause trouble or intimidate some one, as suggested in the report, he would have gone there in his full official paraphernalia, but he went there alone with his younger brother.
“The Police men seen in the video cliff were not the Chairman’s police team, they were policemen operating around the plaza whom at first instance intervened before the arrival of police team from Maitama Police station. As the few policemen in the complex were apparently overwhelmed by the mobs, consisting of BIAFRAN boys throwing matches and shape object to his car, which led to deep cut and dislocation in one of his finger, causing damage to his car, smashing his windscreen.
“At a point he attempted to leave the scene, these same miscreants, BIAFRAN boy ordered for the closure of the gate thereby assaulting him before the arrival of police team from Maitama police station.
“An incident like this when it happened, sympathy usually goes to the low personalities. Though is unfortunate as I said, it ought not to have happened.”
The CCT spokesman, realising his blunders, later claimed he was under pressure from Umar to release the statement which gave him no time to proof read it.
But Nigerians have taken the CCT chairman to the cleaners, including the spokesman, describing them as products of quota system. A quota system is an employment system of selecting people on the basis of regional representation and not merit.
A journalist, Chuks Akunna, tweeting with the handle @kunnachux said: “But for quota system, Danladi Umar wouldn’t be CCT chair. Ibraheem Al-Hassan wouldn’t be Head, Press & Public Relations, CCT. We would have been spared the agony of ‘video cliff, packing lot, had went, mobs, and Biafran BOY!’ Hey! But wait a sec! We’re ALL Biafrans!”
Dr Dipo Awojide, also tweeting with OgbeniDipo said: “The use of Biafran Boys (twice) in the statement by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) is vile and provocative. It’s basic dog whistling against Igbo people. Danladi Umar, chairman of the CCT should take responsibility for his actions and not deflect with this vile press release.”
@iamEnyene said: “1. Justice Danladi Umar of Code of CONDUCT Tribunal should be SACKED for assaulting a security officer, since he cannot CONDUCT himself. 2. Ibraheem Al-Hassan, Head, Press & Public Relations, CCT should be removed for referring to people as BIAFRAN boys in an official statement.”
@ChinonsoMartins said: “Having read that press release I keep wondering how Danladi Umar managed to pass exams in school, let alone become CCT chairman. Who is Danladi Umar, were appointments based on meritocracy, competence, capacity? Nigeria is finished. I give up. Call me Biafran boy.”
@OrjiUka said: “Imagine for a second, that the CCT Chairman Danladi Umar who by a stroke of judicial pen unconstitutionally removed a sitting Chief Justice of Nigeria, is removed from office due to a ‘turmoil’ with an unnamed ‘Biafran boy’. Won’t that be poetic justice?”
