Detained leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, may have eaten food worth more than N120 million since his arrest and detention in 2015.
The minister of information and culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed made the revelation in a video that went viral on the internet on Thursday.
In the video published by OAKTV, Mohammed said the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government spends about N3.5 million on El-Zakzaky’s feeding on a monthly basis.
“The issue of whether, where he (Mr. El-Zakzaky) is, at least let’s keep it off record, that he is in a residence and you know eating at the… It costs the government about N3.5 million every month to feed him.
The minister said he got the figure from the relevant government agencies upon enquiry.
If the claim is correct, it therefore means that the government may have spent over N126 million to feed the Islamic cleric since he was arrested and detained in December 2015 after his followers were engaged in a bloody clash with the convoy of the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, in Zaria, Kaduna State.
The minister who was briefing journalists in the video said it was wrong to liken what was happening to el-Zakzaky, whose followers have been engaging security agents in confrontation since his incarceration, to what happened to the late leader of Boko Haram, Yusuf.
He said the IMN leader was undergoing criminal prosecution in Kaduna State and the court had denied him bail.
Mohammed said instead of detaining him in a prison, the federal government decided to hold el-Zakzaky in a building belonging to the Department of State Services (DSS).
He said the Islamic cleric ate whatever he liked in detention.
At that point, the minister of transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, who was apparently briefing journalists alongside Mohammed, jokingly told him (Mohammed) that he (Amaechi) too was willing to be taken into custody.
Meanwhile, there have been reactions to the expensive feeding of the IMN leader.
Reno Omokri tweeted: It cost the FG about ₦3.5million naira monthly to feed El Zakzakky”-Lie Mohammed ₦3.5 million a month is ₦116,000 a day. Where did @MBuhari find this monumental LIAR from? They should change his title to Minister of misinformation and national Disorientation.
How can President @MBuhari feed only one man, Ibrahim El Zakzaky, with ₦3.5 million and expect a worker with a wife and children to feed his family with ₦18,000 per month? This is an insult to Nigerian workers. I wonder how much Buhari is feeding Dasuki with! #RenosDarts
Ben Bruce
“If President Buhari can afford ₦3.5 million per month to feed Ibrahim El Zakzaky, then I don’t see why he can’t find afford ₦30,000 per month to pay the new minimum wage.
“Or should Nigerian workers join Zakzaky in detention so they can feed at ₦116,000 a day too?”
Concerned Nigerians @ConcernedNIG
It costs the Nigerian government N3.5m per month to feed ElZakzaky.” – Lai Mohammed.
Dear Lai Mohammed, there’s a valid court order that says Zakzaky should be released. Why wasting tax payers’ money feeding a man that should be fending for himself?
ALA @UNCLE_AJALA
“It costs the Nigeria gov’t N3.5m/month to feed ElZakzaky.” – Lai Mohammed.
3.5m × 12 months = N42m
He was arrested in 2015; let’s say they’ve bn feeding him for 3yrs.
3.5m × 36 months: N126m.
Instead of obeying court orders, Nigeria gov’t is wasting money to keep him, very smart
“It costs the Nigerian government N3.5m per month to feed ElZakzaky.” – Lai Mohammed.
Igala_King @I_Am_Ilemona
“It costs the Nigerian government N3.5m per month to feed ElZakzaky.” – Lai Mohammed.
- This is sounds like a lie.
- It makes no sense to continue incurring that cost instead of respecting the order given by Justice Gabriel Kolawole & releasing the man pic.twitter.com/tewlHnHDaE
Zain Ameen @zinadabo1
So I saw Lai Mohammed during an interview saying @MBuhari spends 3.5 million in feeding El-zakzaky monthly.
Please are they feeding the Man with gold rice and diamond beef?
They re keeping him in custody as their leakage for siphoning funds.
Buhari’s govt & daylight robbery pic.twitter.com/hya6VoH3lu
Umeh and 99 others @UmehOMA
It cost government N3.5 million to feed El-Zakzaky every month – Lai Mohammed.
Even the whole Children of Israel didn’t eat that much while in the desert. If Zakzaky doesn’t come out looking like BIG SHOW we won’t take this.
Retired Sinner @R_Thobykov
Excuse me, the Ibrahim El-Zakzaky Lai Mohammed said the Federal Government feed with N3.5m monthly, is it a name of a country under Nigeria that Nigeria is supervising/taking care of or a group of over 3000 people adopted that name?
Lere Olayinka – Aresa 1
@OlayinkaLere
What manner of food is the FG feeding El-Zakzaky with that is costing the govt N3.5m monthly?#LaiN3.5mLie
Lérd Chigbo ā @itschigbo
Buhari: Osinbade any update? PYO: Lai Mohammed has distracted them. They’ve stopped talking about your WAEC forgery
Mr. Shairman Sir@abjghost
“N30K is enough to feed a family of 4 for a month.” – Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour & Productivity
“It costs FG N3.5m to feed ElZakzaky for a month.” – Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information & Culture. These people don’t value us.
Matthew Ottah™ @MatthewOttah
Lai Mohammed really knows how to take the piss! How would he say El-Zakzaky meals cost N3.5million a month? Is he the prime minister of prisoners? Does his daily diet include exotic imported Ostriches, Gorrillas, Zebras & Giraffes? Lying to Lai Mohammed is now an extreme sport.
