Yari denies flouting COVID-19 airport protocol, demands apology from FAAN

Abdulaziz Yari, former governor of Zamfara state, has denied the claim by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) that he violated the COVID-19 protocol at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.

In a tweet on Wednesday, FAAN accused Yari of assaulting its official and breaching COVID-19 protocol at the airport on Saturday.

But in a statement on Thursday, Mayowa Oluwabiyi, a media aide to Yari, said the governor did not assault any official at the airport and would never resort to violence of any sort.

While asking FAAN to retract the tweet and apologise, Oluwabiyi said the governor is a law-abiding citizen.

“The attention of H.E. Abdulaziz Yari, the former governor of Zamfara, has been drawn to a tweet posted on Wednesday, 15th July, 2020, on the official Twitter account of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) that alleges that the ex-governor assaulted an airport official on Saturday, 11th July, 2020, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano,” he said.

“We wish to state categorically that H.E. Abdulaziz Yari did pass through the MAKIA on the said day but DID NOT assault any airport official. He also followed all the COVID-19 preventive protocols set by FAAN.

“The incident cited in the tweet simply never happened.

“H.E. Abdulaziz Yari finds the tweet odious and distasteful. He, therefore, demands that FAAN retract the offensive tweet and tender an immediate public apology to him for the falsehood published about his person.”

Oluwabiyi also said the former governor would take legal action against Femi Fani-Kayode, former aviation minister, over comments he made on FAAN’s tweet.

“H.E. Yari holds the Federal Government of Nigeria in very high esteem and supports all steps taken by the Presidential Task Force on COVID 19 to fight the deadly pandemic,” he added.

“However, the vicious attack on the person and reputation of H.E. Abdulaziz Yari cannot be winked at. Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode will hear from H.E. Yari’s lawyers in due course in order to set the record straight.”