‘Bag of lies’ — presidency tackles Osuntokun over claim of Sallah day bombing

The presidency has rebuked Akin Osuntokun, for making an alleged false claim of a Sallah Day bombing in Maiduguri, Borno state.

Osuntokun, chieftain of the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM), had made the allegation on Tuesday while appearing on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme.

The newspaper columnist and public affairs commentator had said not less than 88 persons were killed in the bomb attack.

In a statement on Thursday, Femi Adesina, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, described Osuntokun’s claim as a “bag of lies”.

The statement read: “Sallah Day had passed quietly and peacefully, without even a firecracker going off, let alone bomb blast. That was contrary to what used to happen before the advent of the Buhari administration, when such festivals were turned to orgy of killings in many parts of the country by insurgents. Apparently, enemies of peace and progress had expected a return to the infamous past, thus Osuntokun appeared on television with his bag of lies.

“When those on the programme remonstrated with him that they were not aware of any bomb blast on that day, he stood his ground, all in a futile bid to puncture the successes recorded by government in the area of security.

“Till the Sallah holidays ended, no bomb blast was recorded in any part of the country, to the shame and discomfiture of the naysayers.

‘One wonders: if there were bomb blasts, and more than 80 people truly died, what would be the gain of anybody, except those who have become blinded by malediction and morbid wishes? Is carnage something now to glory about? Is the struggle for power now so ghoulish that some people have lost their humanity over it?

“Osuntokun and his ilk should realize that this is the only country we have, and we can’t swallow poison and expect it to kill the next person. What we sow is what we reap.

“Happily, however, those for a peaceful, united and cohesive Nigeria are more than those against it. That is why those with baleful, hateful thoughts would never win.

“The tripod goals of securing the country, fighting corruption, and reviving the economy are central to the Buhari administration. Government is making strides in the three areas, and the conquests continue.”