Shettima’s Media Aide Rejects Allegations Linking VP to Terrorism, Cites 2012 Security Memo
Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communications, has rejected allegations linking Vice President Kashim Shettima to terrorism, describing the claims as a revival of controversies surrounding the 2012 arrest of suspected Boko Haram member Kabiru Sokoto.
In a statement, Nkwocha maintained that Shettima was a potential target of a kidnapping plot rather than an associate of the suspect, arguing that the allegations misrepresent the circumstances surrounding Sokoto’s arrest at a facility associated with the Borno State Government in Abuja.
He said a security memorandum dated June 14, 2012, addressed to the Presidency, documented the alleged threat against Shettima’s children and the circumstances that led to their relocation from Maiduguri to Abuja.
According to Nkwocha, security agencies had warned Shettima, who was then governor of Borno State, of a purported Boko Haram plan to kidnap his three children, all under the age of 10, for a ransom of ₦1 billion.
He alleged that Sokoto gained access to the lodge by presenting himself as a stranded indigene of Borno State seeking accommodation for the night. Nkwocha said security operatives subsequently traced and arrested the suspect on January 14, 2012.
The presidential aide also cited disciplinary actions taken against security officials following Sokoto’s escape from custody, including the retirement of then Inspector-General of Police Hafiz Ringim and the suspension of Assistant Inspector-General of Police Zakari Biu.
Nkwocha challenged critics to examine the historical records, insisting that the circumstances surrounding the incident did not establish any wrongdoing by Shettima.
The statement also addressed the political exchanges involving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, following remarks attributed to Shettima about opposition figures.
Nkwocha defended the Vice President’s comments, arguing that the opposition should focus on presenting policy alternatives rather than revisiting allegations that he described as misleading.
On Atiku, the aide referred to controversies surrounding the proposed privatisation of the Ajaokuta Steel Company and cited criticism previously made by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. However, the statement did not provide supporting documentation for the specific financial figures it referenced.
Regarding Obi, Nkwocha questioned his political outreach to northern Nigeria and argued that acceptance across the region would be important to his presidential ambitions.
He further criticised the political prospects of opposition figures, including Rabiu Kwankwaso, while expressing confidence in Shettima’s continued support for President Bola Tinubu and the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Nkwocha concluded by stating that Shettima personally prepared the speech that prompted the political exchanges and predicted further responses from the Vice President during the political season.
The statement reflects the growing political exchanges between figures associated with the Tinubu administration and opposition leaders as debate continues over their records, policy positions and political ambitions.
Shettima’s Media Aide Rejects Allegations Linking VP to Terrorism, Cites 2012 Security Memo