Immediate past Zamfara Governor Abdulaziz Yari has denied assaulting any Airport official at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport as alleged by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
The FAAN had, on its official Twitter handle on Wednesday, lambasted Yari for breaching the COVID-19 protocol and assaulting one of its officials at the Kano International Airport on Saturday.
FAAN described the ex- Governor’s alleged conduct as unacceptable and irresponsible, stressing that Yari refused to submit his luggage for disinfection at the airport as he claimed to be a VIP.
However, Yari, in a statement on Thursday by his media aide, Mayowa Oluwabiyi, admitted the ex-Governor indeed passed through the Kano airport of the said day but did not assault any official.
The ex-Governor demanded retraction of the accusation by FAAN and immediate public apology for bringing his name to disrepute.
Yari also threatened to sue a former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, for relying on the FAAN tweet to cast aspersions on his reputation.
The statement said: “We wish to state categorically that His Excellency Abdulaziz Yari did pass through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on the said day but did not assault any airport official. He also followed all the COVID 19 preventive protocols set by FAAN.
“The incident cited in the tweet simply never happened. H.E Abdulaziz Yari finds the 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”.