BBC Pidgin of Monday, 12 April 2021

Source: BBC

Isa Ali Pantami: Nigerian Minister react to tori say e dey United States watch-list in connection wit terrorism

Nigeria Minister of communications, Isa Pantanmi Nigeria Minister of communications, Isa Pantanmi

Nigeria Minister of communications, Isa Pantanmi don react to tori say im dey on United States watch-list for terrorism.

Di minster say di major publishers of di story go meet im lawyers for defamation of character.

Tori bin dey circulate for social media on Monday wit claim say di United States don black-list Communications Minister Isa Ali Pantami in connection wit global terrorism.

One tori news platform bin quote US intelligence sources tok say before im appointment as minister, Isa Ali Pantami get "extremist views" about di United States, dem say im don pledge allegiance to al-Qaeda.

Dem also cite information from di so-called Western intelligence sources say di minister get close ties to Mohammed Yusuf, di first leader of Boko Haram and e get ties to Abu Qatada al-Filistini and some al-Qaeda leaders wey dey highly respected.

Di report also claim say Minister Pantami don previously praise Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi as a senior leader, wey join al-Qaeda afta im move to Afghanistan afta di attack. for di United States on September 11, 2001.

Oga Pantami respond to di tori say "My lectures against di doctrines and all oda evil pipo don dey available for over 15 years, plus debates wey endanger my life against many criminals for Nigeria.

E tok say on di issue of NIN-SIM Verification to fight insecurity, say dia is no going back.

"Our priority as GOVERNMENT based on di provision of our constitution 1999 (as amended) Section 14(2)b na SECURITY, no be only economy.

For sure, no going back at all."

Di Newspaper wey publish di story no reveal dia sources, and e don make pipo see di article as fake.

For di list of terrorists wey FBI tag as wanted on dia website, Isa Pantami name no dey dia.

Di US National Security Agency no name am as a sponsor of terrorism or terrorists.

Di minister tok-tok pesin, Mrs Uwa Suleiman, follow BBC Hausa tok say di article wey dem publish na to spoil di name of di minister.

She say na some pipo wey dey try hide to bring down Pantami - na dem dey hide to fabricate di story.

"Isa Ali Pantami na Islamic scholar wey don study for many kontris including Saudi Arabia.

Since di emergence of Boko Haram, Pantami don express im dissatisfaction wit di way dem dey operate, n aim make am confront di group first leader, Muhammad Yusuf, to challenge di teachings of di group." She tok.

Anoda thing wey show say Pantami no get link with Boko Haram na when dia leader Abubakar Shekau release video for 2020 say Pantami na one of di pipo e go like to kill.For di nine minute video e say im reason for wanting to kill Pantami na because di cleric don join goment instead of maintain im calling.

Di minister say no amount of intimidation fit stop am from implementing di good policies of President Muhammadu Buhari on security.