Ex Borno State governor Ali Modu Sheriff, accused of lobbying for the release of the confiscated Chad-bound cargo aircraft, distanced himself from the allegations.
It would be recalled that the aircraft was seized on Saturday, December 6, by the Nigerian military at the Aminu Kano International Airport with a large amount of arms and ammunition on board.
Soon it was alleged that senator Modu Sheriff, some time ago publicly accused of sponsoring Boko Haram insurgency, was involved in lobbying for its release.
Responding to the circulating reports, the senator, who is also the chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), characterized the information as sponsored by his political enemies, ThisdayLive reports.
In a statement made public today, December 8, in Maiduguri, the former Borno governor said that his rivals were looking for ways of dragging him into the mud to gain political edge in the fight for the soul of Borno state.Meanwhile, France confirmed ownership of the cargo saying that the aircraft was meant to convey some military hardware from Bangui (Central African Republic) to Ndjamena (Niger). The officials of the country added however that there were no arms and ammunition on board.