Aisha Bichi, wife of Yusuf Bichi, the director-general of the Department of State Service (DSS), has reportedly ordered the arrest of Kano State governorship candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Abba Yusuf.
The DSS boss’s wife also reportedly barred him from boarding a Air Peace flight from Kano to Abuja on Sunday night.
According to Daily Nigerian, the crisis began at the gate of the VIP lounge of the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano when the motorcade of the politician caused traffic holdup, briefly delaying Mrs Bichi’s convoy from gaining swift passage into the controlled area.
Sources said the situation angered Mrs Bichi as her security guards started beating up people and hitting vehicles for “disrespecting Madam”.
Witnesses said as the dust began to settle, the NNPP candidate went into the lounge to meet her, being his wife’s friend, and complain about the personel’s untoward behaviour.
“No sooner had Abba approached her than she began raining insults on him. Although the state director of service attempted to calm her down, she continued pouring the expletives, saying she would not allow him to be a governor,” an eyewitness told this newspaper.
Daily Nigerian gathered that the situation worsened when she sighted a member of the politician’s entourage, Garba Kilo, filming the altercation with his phone. “As she saw Kilo taking a video, she immediately ordered the personnel to kill him, saying ‘kill him, and nothing will happen’.
“She further vowed that she would not allow Abba to board same flight with her tonight. As she continued shouting, the state director of DSS pleaded with Abba to cancel his trip and go back home.
“As Abba insisted on boarding the flight, a reinforcement of DSS personnel shortly arrived at the airport and cordoned off the lounge building. Some hefty-looking operatives then stormed into the lounge and told Abba that he was under arrest,” said the source.
Sources further told Daily Nigerian that the police DPO in charge of the airport later arrived in company of his subordinates to investigate the incident and take statements from the parties involved in the clash.
“After Abba gave a statement, the DPO went to the left wing of the lounge to take her statement, but she declined, asking ‘do you know who I am? Who are you to even confront me to write a statement?
“The DPO later eft without taking her statement,” said the source.
Daily Nigerian learnt that the SSS operatives later released Mr Yusuf after the flight took off with the DG’s wife.
Spokesman for the SSS, Peter Afunanya, did not respond to inquiry on the matter at the time of filing this report, just as spokesman for the NNPP candidate, Sanusi Dawakintofa, could not be reached for comment on the matter.
Mrs Bichi, believed by insiders to be meddling with the service affairs, had recently ordered SSS operatives to beat up her tailor in Abuja for failure to sew her cloths on time.
She had also ordered the removal of the service director at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja for allegedly refusing to welcome her last year.
