I have no smuggled Hilux van in my house –Senator Barau tells Senate
Senator Jibrin Barau (APC Kano North) on Wednesday made efforts to clear his name over allegation of complicity in purchase of vehicles, which the Nigerian Customs impounded, as he vehemently denied a report that 13 Hilux vans allegedly smuggled into the country were found in his house in Kano.
A national daily had earlier published a report that the smuggled vehicles without Customs duty payment were found in his residence.
Barau, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TetFund, raised Point of Orders 14 and 15 of the Senate Rules during plenary to deny the allegation.
He said: “I was in Kano last weekend where I met a large number of my constituents and they can testify that there was no single Hilux van in my house.”
He added that “on Monday night around eleven, I saw a text message on my phone from a reporter of Daily Trust called Yusha’u that there was an urgent matter. And I did not hesitate but called him thrice but he refused to pick my calls.
“I went further to call a reporter of Daily Trust attached to the National Assembly.
He also did not pick my calls. I saw this morning on the headline of Daily Trust that 13 Hilux vehicles smuggled into the country that Customs duty had not been paid on them were found in my residence.
“That my house was sealed and that at the end of it, it was stated that the vehicles are there without anybody claiming the ownership of them. This never happened.”
Barau, who observed that it was a clear case of calumny to tarnish his image, added: “I was in my house this weekend with my constituent, my house was wide open and there were no vehicles there.”
He described the matter as terrible and bad for Nigeria’s democracy adding that it was something he really could not imagine happening at time of the country’s political development.
“Coming from Daily Trust that I have highest regard for as one of the papers that we northerners look unto for good news coverage in the North, makes it more worrisome and disturbing, I thought Daily Trust would have heard from me by following due diligence to find out the truth before going to press. It is quite unfortunate; I am really disappointed by what I saw”, he lamented.
Barau said his privilege had been abused, stating that he could not fathom why this should happen when leaders of the country needed to put their heads together to find lasting solution to the nations challenges.
“We are in a time of recession that we need everyone to come on board. The executive, the legislature, the judiciary and even the fourth estate of the realm for us to find out a solution to the problem we find ourselves”, he added.
However, the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki referred the matter to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions and report back to the plenary in two weeks.
