Former governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has surfaced in Lagos following news that he had escaped to France as a result of the violence currently trailing Lagos.
He, however, debunks those rumours by visiting the state governor, Babjide Sanwo-Olu, at the State House in Marina.
He commiserates with him over the current state of things, particularly the attack on protesters at the Lekki Tollgate and the vandalisation and looting of government and private properties.
“I didn’t go nowhere. I’m a Lagosian. I still hold the title of the Asiwaju of Lagos, and I’m still the Jagaban. Fake news is all over the place.”
On the alleged kidnapping of his son, he said, “They said Seyi, my son, was kidnapped and was chased, but look at him,” he said, pointing to his son beside him, “I did not pay a penny to bring him here.”
“I came to commiserate with the government and sympathise with those victims through him and to seek his permission to visit some of those victims if they are still there in the hospital. Since he made the announcement, to assume the responsibility for payment and all that, how and what can we do to help him.”
Tinubu had come under fire over the shooting that provoked rampaging hoodlums to burn down some assets linked to him in different parts of the state. Property linked to him that were torched included TV Continental (TVC), The Nation newspapers and Lekki Concession Company (LCC), managers of the tollgate.
The former governor has, however, denied any link with the LCC.
He emphasised the need for a thorough investigation into the shooting, which stoked violent attacks on private and public assets in nearly all parts of the state. “I asked the governor if he did not order the attack, who ordered the attack? That is all I needed from him.
“First, we have to segregate the calendar – those who suffered casualty before the protests from the hands of SARS. You have to separate that from those who suffered casualty due to what happened at the tollgate.
“For those who suffered casualty from SARS, the commission of inquiry that is already set up will unearth that and will make their recommendations. I trust the calibre and the character of the people there; they are independent. That is one.
“Those who suffered casualty during the gunshots need to answer some questions, too. Even though we want to help, we still must extract information that will help the government to prepare in future and understand how and when to react because the governor, in particular, is a youth.
“As a youth himself, Sanwo-Olu quickly went to Abuja with the 5/5.
“The government immediately put it into action, dissolved the SARS and had to work through other recommended actions, to meet their demands. Within a few days, he reported back to the public. That is responsive enough.
“But where are we getting the looting, the carnage, the burning, the invasion of police stations, stealing of arms, maiming of the innocent? It is a handshake beyond the elbow,” he said.
