Former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari has denied claims that he assaulted an official at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano State.
The allegation against the former governor was made by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, with claims that Yari flouted COVID-19 guidelines at the airport.
In response, Yari asked FAAN to retract the allegation and threatened to sue a former minister of aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, who attacked him over the issue.
Below is a statement issued by his media aide, Mayowa Oluwabiyi.
“We wish to state categorically that His Excellency Abdulaziz Yari did pass through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on the said day but did not assault any airport official. He also followed all the COVID 19 preventive protocols set by FAAN.
The incident cited in the tweet simply never happened. H.E Abdulaziz Yari finds the tweet odious and distasteful, he therefore demands that FAAN retract the offensive tweet and tender an immediate public apology to him for the falsehood published about his person.
His Excellency Abdulaziz Yari also noted the unwarranted and needlessly vicious attack on his person and reputation by the former Minister of Aviation, Mr. Femi Fani-kayode via his Twitter handle @realffk as a result of the tweet from FAAN earlier on Wednesday.
We wish to re-affirm that H.E Abdulaziz Yari, the former governor of Zamfara state is a law-abiding Nigerian who will never resort to violence on any issue whatsoever.
H.E Yari holds the Federal Government of Nigeria in very high esteem and supports all steps taken by the Presidential Task Force on COVID 19 to fight the deadly pandemic.
However, the vicious attack on the person and reputation of H.E Abdulaziz Yari cannot be winked at. Mr. Femi Fani-kayode will hear from H.E Yari’s lawyers in due course in order to set the record straight.”