N9V TV
A 40-year-old food vendor, Saudatu Aliyu, has narrated how her son-in-law, Gambo Adamu, deceived her into believing that he had married her off to former president, Muhammadu Buhari.
Adamu was sentenced to 12 months in prison by a magistrates’ court sitting in Minna, Niger State last month.
Saudatu, who is a divorcee, had approached the court that her son-in-law extorted money from her amounting to N5m with a promise to marry her off to the ex-president.
She told the court that her son-in-law presented to her the sum of N100,000 as bride price, a basket of kola nuts and fried chicken in a bag as gifts from President Buhari during the wedding fatiha.
She said that after waiting to see the former president coming to pick her as his new wife, she decided to approach the court for intervention.
She added that the convict also asked her to set up a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) with her as chairperson while he, the son-in-law, would serve as the spokesman, promising her that she would get benefits from the federal and state governments, in addition to allocation of slots for Hajj.
The Magistrate, Ibrahim Musa Zago, sentenced the defendant to 12 months in prison for cheating contrary to Section 322 of the Penal Code, with an option of N100,000 fine.
He also ordered the defendant to pay N2m as compensation to the complaint.
Speaking with Daily Trust Radio in an interview published last week, Saudatu narrated how Gambo extorted her with the fake marriage and even made her believe she would succeed the late Abba Kyari as Buhari’s chief of staff.
“I got to know Gambo Adamu while selling food at Kure Ultramodern Market. That was in 2016. He worked as a private security at the market. We became familiar because he was one of my regular customers. I later brought my daughter from Yola, Adamawa State, to stay with me in Minna after I separated with my husband. But when I remarried, I wasn’t going to the shop regularly, so my daughter was running the restaurant for me. That was where and how they started a relationship. I didn’t know until when they had gone far,” she said.
“When Gambo sent my sister’s daughter who visited us from Gombe to inform me of his intention to marry my daughter, I told him that there was no problem. I told him to meet the girl’s parents in Yola and seek their consent
“He later came to me to form a non-governmental organisation known as Youth Progressive Group. While we were discussing about the organisation I became seriously ill and spent months in the hospital.
“He started getting me traditional medicines, in addition to what my parents and younger brothers were getting for me. He went as far as travelling to his village to get me some traditional medicines. But at that time he was yet to get married to my daughter.
“When I recovered, I went back to continue with my food business and we became close. One day, I took my daughter to Yola to discuss the marriage proposal with her father. Because of that we had a misunderstanding and I wanted to leave her in Yola with her father, but some people advised that I shouldn’t do that because she would become wayward. In fact, because of her father’s insistence that she would not be allowed to marry Gambo Adamu, she attempted to commit suicide. She wanted to take rat poison before she was saved. That was why people said I should take her back to Minna. I brought her back to Minna and eventually, her father agreed and she got married to Gambo in 2018.
“After the marriage, Gambo reminded me of the non-governmental organisation he asked me to set up. He said I would serve as its patron and sponsor while he would serve as chairman. I told him that I had never operated an NGO, so I had no idea of how to run any. He told me that whatever I spent would be documented and opportunities would come in future. I told him I was going to think about it and also seek advice from my brothers.
“He also asked me to get him God-fearing people who would help him handle a contract for the sale of hajj seats to intending pilgrims. I told my younger brother and few other people in my area and invited them for a meeting with him so that he would explain to them better.
“He said he was going to design membership forms to be filled by all the members of the NGO. He also said the forms would be given to them for free but as the patron and sponsor I would take the financial responsibility for the design and printing. I gave him N2,000 to design and print the forms. That was in 2017.
“So, we started the NGO and meetings were held on Mondays. As we progressed, he asked us to start contributing N200 every Monday to run the organisation while late coming would attract N100. He later introduced N5,000 as monthly contributions. He also told me that we needed to start giving out charity to orphans and the less privileged, especially
those who could not pay their house rents. That was when I developed full interest in the NGO so that we could help the needy.
“After that, he said I needed to get the organisation registered somewhere at the Emir’s Palace, Minna. I gave him N6,000 for the registration. He also asked me to print posters, which cost me N18,500 for the first printing. I did another printing at the cost of over N20,000. That was how we continued
“One day, we visited hospitals and orphanage homes to help the sick and the needy. Before we went to those places, he said we should get a cameraman to take pictures and record videos for record purposes. It was after these visitations that he told me that he was going to take the video to Abuja to show to the federal government so that he could secure a contract for us.
“He requested for my passport photographs, which I gave him. Those photographs are still with him as I speak with you. He also collected my voter’s card, national identity card and my original secondary school certificates. They are also still with him. He asked me to give him N50,000 for transport to go to Abuja and for hotel accommodation. I don’t know if he truly went to Abuja, but he told me he went along with his wife.
“When they returned from Abuja, they came to me, saying that when government officials and members of the House of Representatives from Niger State and officials of some embassies watched the video, in the company of Buhari, who was still in power then, as well as Mohammed Umaru Bago, the current governor of Niger State, who was a House of Reps member from Niger State, and some other government officials, they said they liked me because I would be of help to them in mobilising votes during elections.
“He advised that I should bring money to rent an office for the activities of the NGO with a signpost so that we could easily be traced. He also suggested that I needed to get him a befitting house as the chairman of the organisation, where he could comfortably receive guests. I gave him a huge amount of money to get a good house for himself and rent an office. Later, I gave him over N300,000 to renovate his house and do other things, including getting letterhead papers.
“After renovating the house we rented, they said it would be sold because the owner had died. That was how I lost that money. He said we should rent another office and I gave him N120,000 to get a place in Dutsen-Kura. I also paid for his house, where he said he would receive guests from Abuja, including ex-President Buhari. He told me that visits by Buhari would always be secret, so we shouldn’t be taking them to hotels. That was when he told me that Buhari said he loved me and would love to take me as his wife.
“I didn’t believe him until when I asked his wife (my daughter) and she swore by Allah and Prophet Muhammad (SAW) that what her husband said was true, that she was present when ex-President Buhari said it. I couldn’t control my tears. My son-in-law later brought out a paper, alleging that it was a letter written by Buhari to me and read it to my hearing. He said Buhari requested for my personal pictures
“They said it was a secret, so I shouldn’t tell anybody because if people or other women got to know about the proposal, they would get jealous and might kidnap me. They said I shouldn’t tell even my parents until the relationship became stronger. I worked with all they said.
“Two days after, they called to ask if I had accepted ex-President Buhari’s proposal. I said yes basically because he is a northerner and Fulani by tribe. Thereafter, he requested for my pictures, with a promise that he was going to give to them to Buhari. So I went to a photo studio and snapped different pictures, from which he selected the ones he would take to Buhari.
“After collecting my pictures, he requested for N57,000 for transport and hotel accommodation. Two days after, he called me, saying he was still in Abuja and the money I gave them was not enough, so I should send more money for transport. I sent N7,000 again for transport back to Minna. When they came back, they told me they met Buhari at the Villa and he was happy. He gave me Buhari’s picture, saying the former president gave it to him. He also brought a letter from Buhari, which he read to me.
“At that point, I asked if I would let my parents know of the proposal, but he said I should wait until Buhari visited me in Minna. He promised to let me know if Buhari gave him a date for his visit so that I would inform my parents. He also told me that the then Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, Borno State governor, Babagana Umara Zulum and Buhari himself had agreed to join my NGO. He later told me that Zulum wanted to take over as the chairman of the organisation, adding that he always had meetings with them.
“On several occasions he collected money from me to go to Abuja to see ex-President Buhari. He also tasked me to prepare food – pounded yam, tuwon shinkafa, with cow head and cow tail pepper soup, fried chicken and soft drinks, saying that Buhari and his team were coming to Minna to have a meeting with him. At a point, my parents insisted in knowing where I was taking those foods to. In fact, my father wanted to stop me.”
Asked why she didn’t demand to see Buhari, the woman said each time she finished preparing food and dressed up to go and see the ex-president with it, he would ask her to wait for him.
“He would come and collect the food himself or send his friends to come down and collect it from our house. He didn’t allow me to follow him with the food. I spent a lot of money preparing the foods. He told me to take note of whatever I spent so that they would pay me back.
“One day, he said Buhari was ready for the wedding and I should begin to buy wears, adding that the former president wouldn’t want an elaborate ceremony. He wanted the wedding fatiha done secretly.”
Sadautu said she bought the wedding wears as he requested.
“I bought seven different cloths (and co) for the wedding ceremony. I bought different foot-wears, which he collected to go and show the president for approval. He collected N50, 000 as transport fare for that journey also. And he told me he embarked on each journey with his wife. When he came back, he said Buhari said the cloths were okay and he was going to pay N100,000 as bride price. He gave me the N100, 000.
“While I was eager to get the marriage contracted, I heard that he was leaving Minna for Kano on transfer. They didn’t even let me know that they were leaving Minna. But luckily for me, the day they were travelling, at the Niger State Transport Authority park at Tunga market, somebody saw them and called me, saying that my son-in-law was transferred to Kano and I didn’t inform her. I told her that I didn’t know. That was when I called him and he told me that it was an emergency and he was asked not to let anybody know about it. I prayed for them.
“After they arrived Kano, my daughter called me, saying that a meeting was scheduled with Buhari’s representatives in Kano and I needed to be there. I travelled to join them in Kano for the meeting. I spent two weeks in Kano to meet with Buhari’s representatives to arrange for the wedding. At that meeting, a man dressed in northern traditional wears was introduced to me as Hadi Sirika, Buhari’s representative Buhari from Abuja.
“In fact, the man re-introduced himself to me and we had a discussion. He said four of them were billed to come from Abuja but others couldn’t make it. That was why he came alone. I spent a lot on refreshment because I did as my son in-law directed me to do. The Hadi Sirika promised to take my message to Buhari after our meeting.
“I spent all my savings from my restaurant business on these movements. But while we were doing all these, I wasn’t comfortable; I was still in doubt and gripped with fear. I was wondering how former President Buhari did not see any woman to marry, except me.
“He stayed in Kano for one year before moving back to Minna with his wife, saying he was brought back. They came back to Minna in 2019. He married my daughter in 2018.
“When he returned to Minna, I was the one that paid for the house they rented in Dutsen-Kura at N120, 000. He asked me again to rent an office, which I did at the cost of N120,000, totalling N240,000. I bought office equipment, including plasma television, tables and chairs; they are all with him. In that house, they were later asked to vacate because the other tenants complained that they were bringing strange people to their house, even in the night; therefore, they didn’t trust them.
“After that, he asked me to rent a house where I would stay with Buhari if he paid me a visit after our wedding. I rented a two-bedroom flat at the cost of N250,000 at the Moris Area.
“He later told me that Buhari had confided in him that I would succeed Abba Kyari as his chief of staff. Then he said that since I was going to work in the Villa, government was going to check me to know what I had. I asked how they were going to do that and he said I should begin to save the profits I made from my business with him every day, with a promise that he was going to take record of them. I started giving him N8,000 and later increased it to N15,000 every day.
“He also came to me, saying the federal government was going to give us a N300million loan, which I rejected. I told him I was not interested in any loan. He told me that it was Buhari that made that arrangement for me and it was a grant, which I didn’t need to pay back.”
Saudatu said her son-in-law later told her that the wedding fatiha had already been contracted with Buhari in Abuja in 2020.
“After I rented the two-bedroom flat where I was going to stay with Buhari at Moris Area, he brought a basket of big kola-nuts for me. I had never seen kola-nuts as big as those he brought for me. He also brought fried chicken wrapped in a nylon. He said my marriage had already been contracted with President Buhari in Abuja. It was on January 31, 2020. That was the day he said the marriage was contracted in Abuja without even informing me
“I angrily asked how he would contract my marriage without informing me to at least tell my parents. Even if I fell from a tree, I should be asked to get guardians to stand for me.
“He said Buhari didn’t want an elaborate ceremony and that was why he did it secretly. I said even if he didn’t want an elaborate ceremony he would have let my parents know and I needed to be informed too as a bride. After waiting for close to three years, I insisted that I wanted to see my husband. I rented an apartment, bought cloths for the wedding but didn’t set my eyes on the groom.”
Asked if he ever called anyone on phone to say she should talk to Buhari, Saudatu said;
“He didn’t do that, even once. But sometimes he would be on phone and tell me that he was speaking with Buhari. And sometimes he would give me a time the former president wanted to talk to me, but that never happened. Sometimes he would deliberately delay me so that the time Buhari gave him would pass and he would blame me for missing the opportunity. It was later that I began to think it was a deliberate plan to extort me,”
Saudatu said she was told that Buhari was coming to take her to live with him in Aso Rock.
“They gave me a date that Buhari was coming to take me to Abuja to stay with him. One year after, he said we should celebrate one-year wedding anniversary, so I insisted on seeing Buhari if truly my marriage was contracted,” she explained.
“He insisted that a date had been fixed. He gave me May 29, 2021. I quickly informed my father and mother to get prepared to receive President Buhari as their guest. But we didn’t see him.
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