THE arrest of Alhaji Bashir Hadejia, a former aide to the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, by security operatives has sparked outrage.
Some Nigerians, who reacted to the development, demanded answers from the authorities after videos and photos indicated that the suspect was connected to top government functionaries and politicians.
Hadejia, who was a special adviser to Matawalle when he was the Governor of Zamfara State, was arrested on Monday.
A search warrant issued to the Nigeria Police Force, FCT Police Command, dated August 12, 2024, showed that the suspect was accused of “treason and subversion against the state”.
Shortly after his arrest became public, photos and videos of the suspect with prominent politicians and celebrities emerged on social media.
A particular video clip seen by Saturday PUNCH on X (formerly Twitter) showed Hadejia displaying what appeared to be a gold bar with the image of a former Libyan leader, Muammar Ghadaffi.
In the 14-second video, he was heard saying, “One tonne, total 24 carats, 1kg. In each box we have 50kg; in total we have one tonne.”
There were about 13 boxes filled with the gold bars on the table. The boxes were labelled, “Central Bank of Libya”.
This newspaper gathered that Hadejia was nicknamed ‘Villa boy’ because of his close connection to the Villa.
In pictures seen online, Hadejia was standing side-by-side with the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru.
He was also seen in several photos facilitating a meeting between the Arewa Consultative Forum and northern politicians with President Tinubu.
A popular Nigerian Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde Kwam 1 in his Timeless album dedicated a track to extol Hadejia.
In the track, KI described Hadejia as his friend and that of former governor of Jigawa and now Minister of Defence, Badaru.
“I am going to the North, from Jigawa to Abuja. I am going there to see a distinguished personality, Alhaji Bashir Hadejia is the husband of Aisha, the child of Mohammed Ali, a very big man. He is K1 de ultimate’s friend. He is an ally of Jigawa State calculator, friend to governor Badaru,” Ayinde sang.
Meanwhile, an aide to the Minister of State for Defence, Suleiman Shuaibu, has denied any connection between his principal and the suspect.
Shuaibu stated that he has “never met Hadejia and does not know him personally” while expressing concern over the linking of his principal to him.
He noted that Hadejia had also been “photographed with other high-profile individuals, including President Bola Tinubu, Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, but their names are not being mentioned.”
Shuaibu emphasised that Matawalle had nothing to do with Hadejia and that relating them is “uncalled for.”
“If Hadejia is found guilty, he should face the law,” he added.