The security operatives attached to the Presidential Villa, have withdrawn the media accreditation and barred the correspondent of the German Radio Deutsche Welle, Mallam Ubale Musa from entering the Aso Presidential Villa.
Ubale Musa’s accreditation tag was withdrawn for asking a visiting Chadian President, Idriss Deby, a question the security operative considered to be embarrassing.
The reporter who confirmed the withdrawal of his accreditation and expulsion from the Villa, said that the Chief Security Officer to the President was obviously not to be comfortable with the question he asked the visiting Chadian leader.
Ubal Musa had asked the Chadian President the link between the troops of the Multi-national Task Force and mercenaries from South Africa that are currently fighting Boko Haram in the Sambisa forest. He said that the Chadian leader responded that he was not aware of the presence of mercenaries in Sambisa fighting alongside the multi-national troops.
President Deby had simply responded that he had no information concerning any mercenaries from South Africa.
However, shortly after the departure of the visiting President, Ubale Musa was invited by security operatives and his tag withdrawn. He was then driven in a vehicle out of the forecourt of the president’s office through another entry known as *the Service Chiefs’ Gate.
Ubale Musa said that he told the operatives that some of his work tools were still inside the press gallery where journalists usually operate from. He was then escorted to the gallery where he picked his belongings and led to where his car was parked.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, however assured a delegation of State House correspondents that the matter would be resolved. Picture is that of Chairman of State House Press Corps, Kehinde Amodu. [myad]
