By Kingsley Omonobi, Charles Ozoemena& Umoru Henry
Posted to the Web: Wednesday, November 30, 2005

He has also been relieved of his appointment, bringing to eight, the number of personal aides to the VP sacked by the Presidency.

On its part, the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) is set to sanction the VP at its National Executive Council meeting in Abuja tomorrow.

Presidency sources said yesterday that Mr Yari who had served the VP since 1999, and hails from Nasarawa State was arrested following volumes of security reports linking him with funding and active participation in the operations of the Turaki Vanguard, set up to actualise Vice President Atiku’s presidential ambition in 2007.

He was directed to report at the Police Force Headquarters from where he was immediately taken to the headquarters of the State Security Service (SSS) for questioning. His activities were said to be in contravention of his role as a security agent.
However, he was returned to the Police after interrogation by the SSS. He was also questioned about the source of money he was using to fund the Atiku presidential campaign group.

Associates of the vice president who were contacted to comment on the development pleaded anonymity and said it had become the trend where aides of the Vice President were dropped at random to deflate the Vice President’s political base and derail his presidential ambition.

Police speak

And in a statement, the Force Public Relations Officer, Deputy Commissioner of Police Haz Iwendi, said following the removal of CSP Yari, six names of police officers of the same rank had been forwarded to Vice President Atiku to choose a replacement from.

The statement reads: “As a result of cumulative security reports about the activities of the Police ADC to the Vice President, CSP Abdul Yari Shuyan Lafia, and after contact with the Vice President, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Sunday Ehindero, invited the ADC for interrogation.
“The Inspector-General has been instructed to give to the Vice President six names of Police officers of equivalent rank of which the Vice President can choose a new ADC.

“In the alternative, the Vice President can select any Police officer of equivalent rank of his choice while CSP Yari is being interrogated. The above actions are mainly Police routine procedures.”
Contacted for more clarification on the matter, senior police sources at the Force Headquarters, who preferred to speak under condition of anonymity, said the action of the Inspector-General followed intelligence reports which indicated that the ADC was at the head of a spy team set up to monitor the activities of not only the President but also top echelon of the ruling party. Besides, sources told Vanguard that the team was also involved in some secret financial transactions which government stumbled on.

Other aides of Vice President Atiku earlier sacked are: Dr. Adeolu Akande (August 2003); Professor Sam Oyoivbare and Mallam Garba Shehu (December 2003); General Jafaru Isa, Chris Mamah and Shima Ayati (July 2005).

PDP to sanction VP

Meanwhile, barring a last minute change, the PDP at its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting tomorrow in Abuja, may sanction Vice President Atiku for his comment at the Northern Legislative Forum on his deregistration from the party.
It was also learnt by Vanguard that another crucial matter slated for discussion at the meeting is the report of Ibrahim Shehu Shema-led Disciplinary Committee to address cases of indiscipline in the party. The expulsion of the immediate past National Chairman of the party, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Lawal Kaita and other prominent PDP members involved in the formation of the Movement for the Defence of Democracy (MDD) from the party would be ratified.

Also to be discussed at the NEC meeting, are reports from the party’s Board of Trustees on Governors Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and Joshua Dariye of Bayelsa and Plateau States respectively. The meeting would ratify the recommendation of the dismissal from the party of the Bayelsa State governor by the National Working Committee.
In a related development, President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday paid a condolence visit to the National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, who lost his stepson, Captain Shuaibu Ali, who died with Anthony Kuma in the Jet Beech craft-200 air craft crash in Kaduna.

Also at the Asokoro residence of the National Chairman were the former Finance Minister, Alhaji Adamu Ciroma. Governor Adamu Muazu of Bauchi State; his Kogi State counterpart, Ibrahim Idris; Sports Minister, Saidu Samaila and Senator Jubril Aminu were also at the Chairman’s residence to commiserate with him on the death of Shuiabu Ali. Others were Justice Lawal Uwais, Ibrahim Abdullahi (SAN) and Alfa Belgore.