The Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, has a few hours ago, claimed that the Federal government spends nothing less than N3.5 million monthly to feed Shiite cleric, El-Zakzaky who has been detained by the government for almost three years now.
The leader of the Shiites group who are also known as the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, has been in the custody of Security operatives since December 2015 after Nigerian soldiers allegedly clamped down on his supporters after they mounted a roadblock to a road of which the Nigeria Chief of Army Staff Lt. General Tukur Buratai was traveling on.
The group clashed with the Nigerian Army, as they allegedly made an attempt on the life of the Army Chief, and in the process, many lives were allegedly lost, many of which were members of the IMN. That singular incident, lead to their leader, El-Zakzaky, his wife and some members of his group.
Mr El-Zakzaky was only yesterday denied yet another bail as Court asked that he should remain in the custody of Security operatives.
Lai Mohammed while reacting to a Kaduna Court which denied El-Zakzaky bail in a video that has gone viral, told Premium times that:
“The issue of whether, where he (Mr El-Zakzaky) is, at least let’s keep it off record, that he is in a residence and you know eating at the…It costs the government about N3.5 million every month to feed him,” Lai Mohammed said.
The information minister was at that point interjected by the transport minister, Rotimi Amaechi, who jokingly mocked the figures saying “then you people need to take me in o.”
Mr Mohammed, then defended the figure he announced, saying “Honestly, don’t quote me, but these are the facts.”
At this point Mr Amaechi joked further that he “can take N500,000” monthly to be held in prison by the government.
Lai Mohammed then briefly explained that he “asked” from relevant people to arrive at his information.
“So please. We don’t want to inflame passion. The issue is a very sensitive matter. But that is the situation. The Islamic Movement of Nigeria are a different kettle of fish,” he said.
At N3.5 million monthly, it would mean the government claims it spends about N115,000 daily to feed the forced prisoner.
source: Premium times