Rep sacks aide for describing Shekau as ‘true hero’

Abdulkadir Rahis, a member of the House of Representatives from Borno, has sacked his aide, Bukar Tanda, for describing Abubakar Shekau, Boko Haram leader as a “true hero”.

Shekau, reportedly killed himself with a bomb on Wednesday— to avoid being captured by fighters of the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) — a breakaway faction of Boko Haram.

But in a Facebook post on Thursday, Tanda praised the dreaded leader of Boko Haram, saying “he lived a live of hero and died a true hero”.

“I admire and appreciate his courage to terminate his life. He lived a life of a hero and died a true hero. He did it in such a way that not even traces of his corpse will be found,” Tanda wrote.

The comments did not go down well with Rahis, his principal, who issued him a letter of dismissal.

“I wish to formally write and notify you of the termination of your appointment as my legislative aide, forthwith,” Rahis said in a letter he personally signed.

“Your actions, utterances and opinion of recent are at variance with my interest, that of my constituency and our great party, the APC.

 “The letter also serve as a disclaimer to any action or position you took or wish to take, on any matter that may have the remotest connection with me as a person or my office.”

Shekau terrorised northern Nigeria for more than a decade.