Jibrin goes on exile, faults Buhari’s silence on budget ‘fraud’

‎Abdulmumin Jibrin, suspended member of the house of representatives, has fled the country over an alleged attempt to assassinate him and kidnap his family.

‎In an interview with BEN TV London on Monday, the lawmaker vowed not to return to the country until his safety is guaranteed.‎

He also said the silence of President Muhammadu Buhari on the allegations of padding of the 2016 budget, was sending a wrong signal to Nigerians.

Though he agreed that Buhari should not have waded into the issue at the initial stage, Jibrin said the refusal of the president to act up till now is not in the best interest of the country.

“The situation currently at hand is different from the initial stage of the crisis. The silence of the presidency is no longer sending the right message to Nigerians and the international community,” he said.

He said over 2,000 “fraudulent” projects worth over N284 billion were inserted into 2016 budget, claiming that such illegality has never happened in the history of the Nigerian legislature.

Jibrin also exonerated himself of any wrongdoing in the appropriation process, saying he never abused his office or corruptly enriched himself all through the five years he spent in the green chamber.

The lawmaker has blamed the scandal in the house of on Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the house, and the principal officers.