Anibeze denies assault on Bash Ali
The Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Youth and Sports Nneka Ikem Anibeze has described as falsehood, a story being circulated by former cruiser weight boxing champion Bash Ali was neither touchedaka Bash Ali.
The Minister’s aide said the text message by Ali is an unsubstantiated claim with intent to deceive the public.
The SMS being disseminated by the boxer claimed that he was currently admitted at the trauma ward of the National Hospital Abuja after he was manhandled by the Minister’s security.
According to the SA Media, Ali came to see the Minister and was told to wait at the Minister’s waiting room with the 10 people who accompanied him.
The Hungarian Ambassador to Nigeria, Prof. Gabor Ternak who had an earlier appointment for 2pm arrived a few minutes later and was ushered in by the Protocol officer. Bash Ali barricaded the entrance to the office of the Minister with the men who accompanied him as he questioned why the ambassador would be allowed to see the Minister while he, who came earlier was not given access,she said.
The uniformed security tried to persuade Bash and his men to leave the Minister’s Secretary’s office but to no avail. The boxer who was carrying a file and mobile phone carefully went to the Secretary’s table to drop his valuables and then fell flat on his back across the doorway.
Bash Ali was neither touched, shoved nor manhandled by security operatives of the Minister. He feigned that he had been beaten up but we challenge him to produce physical evidence of assault, gun butt bumps, bruises, swelling or otherwise as being presented to the public.
He needs to find alternative means of raising money for this World Guinness book of records title fight as government is finding it difficult to sustain programs on the sports calendar of sports federations at this time of recession let alone a title fight by a professional boxer,” Anibeze concluded.
The incident has already been reported to the police while other security agencies have been duly notified.
