LOKOJA— There was mild drama, yesterday,
at 8th fidau prayers for late Deputy Majority Leader of the House of
Representatives, Buba Jubril, in Lokoja, Kogi State, as operatives of
Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, failed to arrest the senator
representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, who was at the event.
The
Police had a few days ago, declared the senator wanted over his
implication in handing over illegal weapons to some kidnappers who
claimed to be his thugs.
The SARS’ operatives had stormed Kabawa
Primary School, Lokoja, venue of the fidau prayers, in efforts to arrest
Senator Melaye but were awe-struck as local vigilante men encircled him
and made it impossible for the SARS operatives to get close to him.
Melaye
actually stole the show on the occasion, raising his two fingers to
acknowledge cheers from the crowd who greeted him with loud ovation.
Dino,
after the prayer session was escorted into the waiting vehicle of the
Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, by the local vigilantes who formed a
ring round him.
The SARS’ operatives, who later besieged Chief
Rasaq Kutepa’s House at the GRA, where the reception took place, were
disappointed to see Melaye in the convoy of the Senate President leave
for the late Buba’s House from where they left for Obajana airstrip for a
flight to Kastina.
Earlier at the fidau prayer session, Leader
of the House of Representative, Femi Gbajabiamila, had said the death of
Buba Jubril still left him in tears.
Gbajabiamila said the more he talked about Buba, the more he got sad and was forced to cry.
He
said: “He was a personal friend, a leader and a colleague, we learned
a lot from each other, we are going to miss him. I am trying to absorb
the shock in my system, you can see the amazing crowd at the prayer,
that is a testament to the kind of person he was.
“Politicians
should continue to work hard with commitment and just do the best and
leave the rest. Live every day as if its your last day on earth.”
The immediate past governor of the State, Idris Wada, said Buba’s death was a major loss to Kogi politics.
He
said: “Buba is a very nice man, very vibrant politician. He has the
interest of the people at heart. We will all miss him greatly. We pray
that his soul rests in peace.
“Death should teach politicians that there is an end to everything in life. That is why we should not push things beyond limit.
“We
all miss Buba. He was a great man and he has contributed positively to
the upliftment and the politics of Kogi State. His politics and style
make him a man of the people, he listens to people and he does something
about their complaints.
“He is just a good man. He had network
across the country, a detribalised Nigerian with very good qualities and
he was not a religious bigot, politicians should emulate him.”
