The State Intelligence Bureau of the Nigeria Police was expected to question Tunde Bakare, a fiery Lagos pastor and political activist, this morning.
The State Intelligence Bureau of the Nigeria Police was expected to question Tunde Bakare, a fiery Lagos pastor and political activist, this morning.
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content1'); });
This followed an invitation letter, seen by SaharaReporters, which was sent to Pastor Bakare's church address on June 26.
Signed by CSP Usman Ayuba, the "invitation" followed an explosive sermon delivered by Pastor Bakare, who is also a top member of the Save Nigeria Group (SNG), on Sunday June 17. In it, he described President Goodluck Jonathan’s destiny as being “to bankrupt Nigeria," amongst other issues, in relation to the $6.8 billion oil subsidy scam.
A few days after the sermon was given, and following another press conference by the SNG in Lagos in which Pastor Bakare commented on the culpability of Mr. Otedola in the bribery scandal rocking the House of Representatives, Mr. Otedola’s lawyers fired a letter demanding retraction of the comments.
Pastor Bakare, according to his aides, is currently traveling outside Nigeria. It is unclear if the police plan to snatch him at the airport upon his return.
The pastor’s critical SNG has had the government in an uncomfortable stare-down before. In December 2010, the group visited President Jonathan in Abuja in connection with its advocacy of certain national policies.
On its way out of the presidential villa, the group was handed a $50,000 bribe, which it refused. The embarrassed government explained that the money was not a bribe, but “transport fare.”
Pastor Bakare subsequently ran for vice-president on the ticket of the Congress for Progressive Change. As pastor or political activist, he has always strongly criticized anti-people policies.
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('comments'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content2'); });