By Tonia Okereke
Controversial political commentator, Mahdi Shehu, has been arrested by the Department of State Security Service (DSS) and will soon be charged to the court for sharing an unrelated old video and falsely accusing the Nigerian Government of plans to site a French military base in the North-West, Frontline News Online has learnt.
Madhi who was arrested in Kaduna State over the weekend, will be fully prosecuted for spreading fake news capable of creating tension within the country and damaging Nigeria’s reputation internationally, sources told Frontline News Online.
The disgraced self-acclaimed whistleblower in seeming support of debunked claims by Niger Republic’s leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani, that Nigeria is collaborating with France to establish military bases on its soil, shared a video shot in 2013 showing Nigerian and French troops offloading supplies on his X handle.
Presidency replies Tiani
In response, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga, described Tiani’s assertions as a tissue of lies.
Onanuga stressed Nigeria’s commitment to safeguarding its territorial integrity. He dismissed Tiani’s statements as unfounded propaganda aimed at tarnishing Nigeria’s international reputation.
“Do you believe this lie? The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already issued a response, and we stand firmly by it. President Tinubu would never contemplate yielding even an inch of Nigerian territory to any foreign military force. Such an idea is unthinkable.”
Madhi deleted the tweet but not before it went viral with the Presidency denying any planned collaboration with the French government.
Nigerian Army’s Response To Mahdi
The Nigerian Army had swiftly debunked the claims by Mahdi. Captain Reuben Kovangiya, the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations Headquarters Theatre Command Operation Hadin Kai, described his claims as unfounded in a statement issued on Monday, December 16.
The statement read in part: “We categorically state that there is no French military base in Maiduguri, nor are there any plans to establish one in the North East Theatre of Operation. The video in question depicts the Acting GOC 7 Division, Brigadier General Abubakar Haruna, addressing the press alongside a member of the British Military Advisory Training Team (BMATT). This event occurred on 25 October 2024, at Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri, during the handover of equipment donated to OPHK by BMATT, which was received by the Theatre Commander, Major General Waidi Shaibu.
“It is important to highlight the longstanding and fruitful military partnership between the Nigerian Defence Headquarters and BMATT. This collaboration has resulted in significant support, including training programs and the provision of Counter-Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) equipment to enhance ongoing operations in the North East.
“The claims made by Mahdi Shehu are baseless, deceptive, and a deliberate attempt to spread misinformation. Such actions, driven by malicious intent, aim to mislead the public and incite unwarranted sentiment. We urge the public to disregard these false narratives and rely on verified information from credible sources”
Mahdi Sheuhu’s many controversies
Mahdi Shehu is not new to controversies, neither is his arrest by the secret police his first brush with the law this year. Mahdi had claimed through his lawyer that he was arrested in February for calling on President Bola Tinubu to probe former President Muhammadu Buhari and some of his top officials.
But former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, (SAN), responded to Mahdi’s claims, saying, he was arrested for attempted extortion. A statement from Malami’s firm signed by A.A. Sherif, a lawyer, alleged that Mahdi was arrested in Kaduna when he tried to take advantage of his wife, Aisha, for a sum of $500,000.
“Our attention has been drawn to the above press statement made on February 7, 2024, as well as that of January 2024; and we, as solicitors to Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, and his family, noted with grave concern that the press statement is not correct, misleading, malicious and a gross misrepresentation of the facts leading to the arrest. Therefore, we write to set the record straight for the benefit of the public. Without prejudice to the police investigation that is ongoing, the facts relate to the complaint/petition which we wrote to the Inspector-General of Police on allegations bothering on extortion, criminal intimidation and an attempt to obtain money by pretence against a syndicate using GSM numbers and email addresses,” the statement read.
Perhaps, Shehu Mahdi’s most talked about controversy is his 2021 viral video where he kicked off crutches he wore to court to falsely claim he was sick. The self-acclaimed whistleblower was arrested By the IGP Monitoring Unit operatives for “acting in concert and with intent to defame, insult, cause enmity, hatred, ill will, and damage to the reputation and integrity of governor of Katsina state and his executive cabinet (sic)”, among other charges, when he wrote EFCC last year and alleged that between June 2015 and April 29, 2020, the state government tampered with N52 billion for dubious and personal purposes from the state’s security account.
Mahdi who had appeared in public sickly and incapacitated was later seen in a viral video discarding his crutches and preparing to lead a congregational prayer in a room. The man who appeared in crutches and braces, signaling that he had lost the ability to use his bones and spinal cord, became healed and agile in private in the viral video.
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