Loading ...Staff, political touts, police and other security personnel at the headquarters of the All Progressive Congress (APC), yesterday turned the venue to theatre of war over attempt by one Hassan to short-change them of the $500 largesse from a senator who visited the secretariat.
One of the staff told newsmen that Senator Navada Bayero who visited the Secretariat had magnanimously doled out the sum $500 to them through Hassan to share to those of them present when he was leaving, only for him (Hassan) to give them N6500 instead of N10,000 each after changing the money.
He added that however, when information went round that he short-changed them by N3500 each, the aggrieved ones among descended on Hassan, tearing his shirt, beating him black and blue in front of the entrance gate of the secretariat, resulting in commotion which attracted the attention of staff and visitors.
To restore normalcy, the police had whisked Hassan into their security post, searched him recovering half bundle of N500 notes, interrogated him, and almost dragged him to the nearest station, but decided otherwise, interrogated him further perhaps to get to the root of the whole confusion before keeping him to allow tension to subside.
The angry short-changed staff had further alleged that after observing that they were coming after him, Hassan who they claimed is not even a staff of the secretariat but a hanger-on, had jumped down from the second floor of the building and attempted to disappear through the gate before they caught up and descended on him.
Interpreting ethnic dimension to his behaviour, one of the aggrieved staff, said: “Hassan’s action did not just start today. He has been doing it to us each time eminent personalities visit the secretariat. He is not even APC staff yet he always targets collecting the money from the visitors and sharing it the way he likes.
“In most cases, the amount he will give to his Hausa brothers will be bigger than the one he gives to other tribes. The Senator gave us $500 this morning, Hassan was sent to change it, but he gave some N10,000 and gave other N6500. We can no longer accept this fraud from him.
“The way he disappeared from the second floor before we caught up with him was an indication that the security in this secretariat is very porous. He is not the only person into this and we don’t know how a non-staff could come and take control of collecting the money visitors give us,” they complained.
Reacting, Hassan, who was not even remorseful of his action, boldly noted that there was nothing strange about his action, arguing that he was not the only person into the business.
Defending the money recovered from his pockets, he said: “Officer, it is my money. It belongs to me not from the money I changed. Don’t mind their complaints. I did not do anything strange because I am not the only one into this. Many others have been doing it and I don’t see any reason all of you should be beating me,” he noted.
