Jennifer Ugwueke
Former presidential aide under Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, Reno Omokri, on Wednesday, challenged President Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesman, Garba Shehu, to spend a night in Koshebe, Borno State, or Kware in Sokoto State, without security and receive a monetary gift of $20,000 from him.
Reno made the challenge following a statement by Shehu that President Muhammadu Buhari had made Nigeria safer than it was before.
In his tweet, Reno said: “Garba Shehu said General @MBuhari has made Nigeria safer. I vow to pay @GarShehu $20,000 if he will spend a night without security in Koshobe, or Kware, verified by an independent journalist. I will give the funds to @DeleMomodu when Garba accepts to go”
Responding to Reno’s challenge, Garba Shehu rejected it, saying “If this is the money from the collections made in the name of Leah Sharibu, the unfortunate Christian girl stolen by Boko Haram, I won’t touch it with a long (spoon). Please keep “your USD20000”.
Dele Momodu also reacted, saying “As your umpire, I suggest our Brother @GarShehu takes up the challenge gratis as an avowed disciple of @MBuhari and call the bluff of @renoomokri and I will declare the winner asap…”
Insecurity has been a major threat to Nigeria as Boko Haram has killed more than 30,000 people since 2009 and continues to stage regular attacks across Borno and other parts of the Country.
Millions of people have been forced from their homes. The violence didn’t stop after Buhari declared the group “technically defeated.”
The Koshebe village where Reno challenged Shehu, who said President Buhari has made Nigeria safer, to spend a night in without security, saw a massacre that took place on November 28, when as many as 110 civilians and peasant farmers were killed and six were wounded as they worked in rice fields.
In a recent attack, over 300 students were kidnapped from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, the home State of President Buhari; but were later released after a negotiation between the State Government and the kidnappers.