Patience Jonathan: It wasn’t me

Nigeria’s first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, has denied ordering the arrest of Naomi Nyadar, who was one of the leaders of a protest staged last Wednesday in Abuja to pressure the federal government into expediting the rescue of the Chibok girls kidnapped three weeks ago.

However, Mrs. Jonathan described Nyadar as an impostor who — despite not being the mother of any of the kidnapped girls — turned up at a meeting meant for mothers of the victims.

“The attention of the president’s wife’s has been drawn to reports that she ordered the arrest of Muriah, who attended the women stakeholders’ meeting convened to discuss ways and best strategies to ensure the release of the abducted children of Chibok Girls secondary School,” Media Assistant to the First Lady, Mr Ayo Adewuyi, wrote in a statement released on Monday‎.

“We wish to state without any iota of equivocation that the first lady did not order the arrest of any woman or anyone for that matter before, during and after the meeting.

“It is instructive to note that the meeting ended after three o’clock on Monday morning. And all those invited to the meeting, including a handful of journalists who stayed throughout the lengthy meeting, left the Presidential Villa thereafter.”

Jonathan recalled that Nyadar attended the meeting as part of the Borno State delegation, only for everyone to be alarmed when someone who knew her revealed that she was impersonating one of the mothers of the abducted children.

“The women expressed their disappointment when she confirmed that she is not a biological mother to any of the abducted children.

“Naomi left the State House with other members of the delegation. If she was arrested as claimed, then enquiries about her arrest should, therefore, be directed to the security agencies.”

Nyadar was arrested at about 3:30am after the meeting, in company with another woman, Saratu Agnus.

But while Agnus was released, Nyadar was taken to the Asokoro Police Station at about 8am.

She was released in the afternoon, only on the orders of Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar.