Abati: Asari-Dokubo was not brought back with presidential jet

The Presidency has refuted media reports that a presidential jet was dispatched to Benin Republic to transport former militant commander, Mr. Mujahid Asari-Dokubo to Abuja after the police in the tiny West African country released him from arrest..

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, told state house correspondents on Thursday that the reports were false.

He said, 'There is no truth in the report that a presidential jet was used to convey Asari Dokubo.

'Again, what we see here is the attempt by people to just tell lies and try to package lies as the truth. I have read some reports in which they said 'unconfirmed reports indicate..'

'Nobody has been able to say anything categorically and I think it is very sad that people, in an attempt to just play politics with anything at all, will start packaging lies hoping that gullible persons will believe them.

'An aircraft is not a ghost in the air. The movement of any aircraft is properly documented and people will see the aircraft if it lands anywhere, particularly the presidential aircraft.

'Nobody can come up with any evidence that any presidential jet was sent to Benin Republic. I can tell you that President Jonathan did not send any presidential jet to Benin Republic.

'Or has Asari Dokubo told anybody that he was brought to Nigeria in a presidential jet? So what is this all about? Blackmail and mischief obviously,' Thursday

Dokubo, who has significant investments in the country which is a pencil mark next door to Nigeria,  was detained in Cotounou on Tuesday over unclear issues.