TheCable

Mohammed Ndume, senate leader, on Thursday said former President Goodluck Jonathan should face the law if he ends up being indicted in the handling of the $2.1 billion arms deal.

In an interview with journalists in Abuja, Ndume said if the probe of the former president is necessary to bringing the case to a logical conclusion, “then he should be probed”.

He said no justice would be too small for all those found culpable in the case of those responsible for the death of about 10,000 Nigerians.

“As far as I am concerned, these people are living on blood money, the blood of so money innocent citizens of this country, particularly from the north-east,” he said.

“Over 10,000 people have lost their lives; at one time you could see my people were slaughtered like chickens and the reason why this happened was that our army was not equipped.

“No justice is too much for them, nobody is supposed to be spared. I am not defending President Jonathan but he approved that this money be used for procurement of arms.

“So, if the law says he should be part of those that should be part of the accountability or those that should face justice, I think nobody should be spared.

“I really don’t want to make comment on that but anybody that is involved in that blood money should be held responsible.

“If the president approved that money in the name of buying arms while giving a directive that it should be shared among his cronies, then he should face the law.

“If anybody is supposed to buy arms and you gave them money to buy arms, as the president, after some time you should ask ‘where are the arms?'”

Ndume said the insurgents took over his hometown in Borno, killed the king of his land and declaring his town a caliphate, while some Nigerians smiled to the bank.

He said on many occasions, soldiers could not confront members of the sect because of lack of ammunition. But he clarified that he was not declaring anyone guilty, saying it was only the judiciary that could decide if anyone was guilty or not.

“What I am saying is that justice should be served,” he said.

“Let me add and clearly, if because of this or any other criminality Jonathan should face the law, he should; I did, I am facing the law.

“Nobody is supposed to be above the law; if Jonathan is a culprit he should face the law. If there is evidence that the former president should face the law, then he should. After all he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.”