Yari denies FAAN's allegations of misconduct

Former Zamfara State governor, Abdulaziz Yari, has denied the 'odious and distasteful' allegations made against him by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

FAAN had released a statement on Wednesday, July 15, 2020 to accuse Yari of refusing to be subjected to safety protocols put in place to combat the spread of the highly-infectious coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

He allegedly forcefully pushed an officer of the Environment Department who insisted that his luggage must be disinfected at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport on Saturday, July 11.

"The former Governor said the officer should have known he is a VIP," FAAN alleged.

However, in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Mayowa Oluwabiyi, on Thursday, July 16, Yari denied both allegations, and demanded an apology.

The former governor said he followed all the COVID-19 preventive protocols, and that he supports all steps taken by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to fight the deadly pandemic.

"His Excellency Abdulaziz Yari finds the (FAAN) 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," the statement read.

Yari also told former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, to expect to hear from his lawyers over the 'unwarranted and needlessly vicious attack' which Fani-Kayode made in a series of tweets in reaction to FAAN's statement on Wednesday.

Fani-Kayode called the former governor 'a crooked, corrupt and violent beast' and accused him of actively supporting the activity of bandits who killed people in Zamfara.

"The vicious attack on the person and reputation of H.E Abdulaziz Yari cannot be winked at," Thursday's statement read.

Saturday's alleged incident happened just days after the Federal Government reopened the airspace for domestic flights after it was completely shut down in March to combat the spread of COVID-19.

34,259 people have been infected in Nigeria, with 760 dead, as of July 15.