…demands unreserved apology, threatens Fani-Kayode with libel
Former Zamfara State governor, Abdulaziz Yari, on Thursday, denied assaulting an official of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on Saturday.
FAAN had on Wednesday alleged on its official Twitter handle that Yari assaulted an airport official on Saturday 11th July 2020.
But Yari, in a statement by his Media aide, Mayowa Oluwabiyi, on Thursday, said though he passed through the airport, he did not assault any airport official.
The former governor also said he followed all the FAAN COVID-19 preventive protocols at the airport, insisting that the incident claimed in the tweet never happened.
He, however, demanded an unreserved apology from FAAN management for allegedly publishing falsehood about him.
Yari also threatened to drag a former minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, to court over his tweet on the issue.
The former Zamfara governor’s statement read, “His Excellency Abdulaziz Yari finds the (FAAN) 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.
“His Excellency Abdulaziz Yari also noted the unwarranted and needlessly vicious attack on his person and reputation by the former Minister of Aviation, Mr. Femi Fani-kayode via his Twitter handle @realffk as a result of the tweet from FAAN earlier on Wednesday.
“We wish to re-affirm that H.E Abdulaziz Yari, the former governor of Zamfara State is a law-abiding Nigerian who will never resort to violence on any issue whatsoever.
“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.
“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.”