Aisha Bichi, the wife of the Director-General of the Department of State Services (SSS), Yusuf Bichi, ordered the arrest of the gubernatorial candidate of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Kano, Abba Yusuf, during an altercation at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano on Sunday night.
Like Yusuf, Mrs Bichi wanted to board an Air Peace flight from Kano to Abuja, Daily Nigerian reported.
The report stated that an altercation between the DSS DG’s wife and Yusuf began at the gate of the VIP lounge after the gubernatorial candidate’s convoy caused traffic holdup, and briefly delayed her convoy’s entrance into the controlled area.
This reportedly angered Mrs Bichi, and her security detail began beating up people and hitting vehicles for “disrespecting Madam”.
Yusuf, a friend of Mrs Bichi’s husband, was said to have approached her at the VIP lounge to complain about her security personnel’s unruly behaviour.
A witness said that the gubernatorial candidate’s action riled her and she began to rain insults on him, ignoring an appeal for calm by the state director of DSS who was with her.
Mrs Bichi was quoted as saying that she would not allow Yusuf to be governor.
The report said that the situation worsened when she sighted a member of Yusuf’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,” Daily Nigerian quoted an unnamed witness as saying.
The DPO in charge of the airport reportedly arrived on the scene shortly afterward to take the statement of both parties involved.
“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 left without taking her statement,” the source was further quoted as saying.
The report stated that the NNPP candidate was only released after the Air Peace flight which had Mrs. Bichi on board took off.
Neither the DSS spokesman, Dr. Peter Afunanya, nor Yusuf’s spokesman, Sanusi Dawakintofa, volunteered comments on the incident.