Associates have risen in defence of Hassan Tukur, an aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, describing an online story linking him to an alleged $40 million Chibok Girls scam as very offensive and misleading.
In the said publication, Tukur was alleged to have collected $40 million to facilitate the negotiation for the release of the abducted Chibok school girls by members of the Boko Haram sect. He allegedly handed over only $5 million to the Chadian President, Idriss Derby and pocketed the rest.
An allegation Tukur’s associates say could have only emanated from the writer’s figment of imagination as nothing like that ever happened. More worrisome is that the writer attributed the fairy tale to ‘impeccable sources’.
The sad story raises some pertinent concerns about the need for all journalists to adhere to the ethics of the profession and conduct researches and thorough investigations before going online with any story.
‘We were surprised about the story of Mallam Hassan Tukur collecting any amount of money on behalf of the abducted Chibok girls. It was plainly incorrect and misleading’, said Mr. Akeem Babalola, a very close associate of Tukur.
‘The insinuation that Tukur has been singing in the EFCC cell, implicating Jonathan and others, who worked under him, is nothing but the imagination of the writer. Tukur was not involved in the sharing of the money; if at all any money was shared.
‘For the avoidance of doubt, Tukur never got a kobo from the so called negotiation deal. Being the man he is, he would not have been part of the looting of this great country as we are being made to believe in the said story’.
Tukur indeed had earlier served President Muhammad Buhari as a military Head of State and he did that without blemish as corroborated by many who know him.
He was appointed by former President Goodluck Jonathan as Principal Secretary based on his track record of loyalty, integrity and accountability.
‘He had served this country at the highest level as a professional and career driven personality and should be accorded such respect’, one of the associates concluded.