Emir strips Obasanjo of title, hands it to Bamaiyi By TERWASE TYOBAN, Birnin Kebbi
Monday, April 28, 2008

The Zuru Emirate Council has stripped former President Olusegun Obasanjo of the title conferred on him by the Emirate council and conferred same on the former Chief of Army Staff, LT. Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi who was recently discharged and acquitted of attempted murder charges by a Lagos High Court.



The emir of Zuru emirate, Maj. Gen. Sani Sami (rtd) made this known at a civic reception put together by the people of the emirate in Zuru town to welcome the retired General home after over eight years in incarceration.

Sani Sami said Gen. Obasanjo does not deserve to hold the title of Uban Yakin Zuru, one of the highest titles in Zuru Emirate which means “the one in charge of warriors” as a result of the deliberate punishment he meted out on their illustrious son, on trumped up charges.

The emir stated that, despite everything done by the former President to inflict pain, grief and sorrow on the family of Bamaiyi and the emirate, the truth finally prevailed as he was vindicated by the verdict of the High Court.

While outlining the achievements of Bamaiyi in the emirate during his tenure as the army chief which include, the establishment of the Bamaiyi Sunduh Memorial Hospital Senchi, a boarding secondary school also in Senchi, a hotel which gave employment to hitherto jobless youths in the emirate, as well as the construction of Zuru-Senchi road, the emir charged other eminent sons and daughters of the emirate to join hands together in the development of the emirate.

In his remarks at the event, the state Deputy Governor and close associate of Bamaiyi, Alhaji Ibrahim K. Aliyu who also represented Governor Saidu Usman Nasamu Dakingari said from time that the idea of handing power over to a civilian regime became a reality, Bamaiyi was one those army officers that spoke openly about not allowing anyone with a military background to rule the nation. However, according to him, that suggestion was ignored and the country has paid dearly for it.

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