Journalist Who Published Controversial Ganduje’s Bribe Video Flees To The UK Over Alleged Threat To Life

By Edna Wande On May 3, 2021

Jaafar Jaafar, a Nigerian journalist who exposed Kano Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje‘s “bribe video”, has fled the country to the United Kingdom over alleged threats to his life.

Jaafar, the founder of Daily Nigerian media company, published a controversial video clip showing Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje alleged receiving $5 million bribe from government contractors in October 2018.

In the video, the governor was seen collecting the dollars before rolling them into his white dress, called “babanriga,” in one of a series of questionable deals allegedly struck over a span of several months.

The video damaged Ganduje’s reputation although it did not stop his reelection in 2019 and he also stopped the state assembly from probing the video.

In an interview with PremiumTimes on Sunday, Jaafar revealed that he has relocated with his family and will not be returning to the country ‘until the coast is clear.’

The newspaper publisher, who was recently invited by the police over alleged defamation of the police chief’s character, said he will only return to Nigeria when the government can guarantee his safety.

He stated;

I’ll be here until this regime can guarantee my safety and protect freedom of the press.

Publisher of Daily Nigerian reportedly fled to the UK barely a month after Governor Abdullahi Ganduje revealed that those behind a video of him allegedly collecting bribe which he described as “fake“, would be brought to shame.

On a BBC Hausa programme, ‘Afada Acika’, the Governor in March this year insisted the video was ‘cloned’ (manipulated).

He said;

The video is fake and we are preparing to prove that. But I cannot preempt what we are doing with regard to that. I am assuring you this video is fake and all those that are behind it would be put to shame.

However, Jaafar has insisted the video is authentic and according to the publication, independent checks showed the original video was not doctored.

Nigeria Police Force last month wrote to Jaafar inviting him for questioning and according to a letter signed by A.A Elleman, the head of Inspector General of Police Monitoring unit, Jaafar was accused of defaming the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

However, the letter did not state whether it is the present acting IGP, Usman Alkali, or his predecessor, Mohammed Adamu.

The journalist, has however, gone into hiding saying he was scared for his life.

Speaking from his hideout to the publication, he said “there was never a time he mentioned either the former or present IGP in any of his stories.”

He also accused the police of trying to arrest him upon arrival in its office, saying;

Police are trying to file criminal charges against me for publishing Ganduje videos. That I defamed the character of IGP is a bait to arrest, detain and file criminal charges against me. I wrote nothing against the former and the current IGP.