I'M NOT AFRAID OF BEING CHARGED WITH TREASON – IBB
Former Military President, Ibrahim Babangida, has said that he is neither disturbed nor disappointed over purported plans by President Goodluck Jonathan to charge him and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for their alleged incendiary comments, explaining that there is a possibility that he (President) was misquoted in the media.
The State Security Service (SSS) on Thursday warned Atiku Abubakar and other politicians against what it described as unguarded, reckless and divisive utterances.
Babangida, who spoke with Aviation Correspondents Saturday afternoon at the Presidential lounge of the Murtala Muhammed Airport said: 'I'm not disturbed about the possibility of being charged with treason. But I believe the President was misquoted .I've been in the military for 32 years and I was a Head of State for eight years. I know what treason means and I'm sure the President didn't mean treason the way you guys portrayed it in the media. I tried treason cases about three times when I was in service. I know what treason is. So, I want to believe he was misquoted .
On the allegation that he was warming up to cross over to another political party having lost out in the race for the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, the former President said: 'The answer is no.'
It could be recalled that the Assistant Director (Public Relations), of the SSS, Mrs Marilyn Ogar, in a statement on Thursday said: 'For sometime now, the State Security Service has noted with grave concern the unguarded, reckless and divisive utterances of some prominent politicians.
The Service has also noted that these utterances, apart from being very inflammatory and extremely inciting are of deep and grave national security concern. We are again reminded that democracy is about dialogue, negotiation and compromise. However, a situation where some of those aspiring to rule this nation have resorted through their utterances to make 'the country ungovernable', or calling for 'a violent change', is despicable and unacceptable to this Service. This, to this Service, is beyond politics. It must be reiterated that security is everybody's business and cannot, therefore, be consciously broached on the altar of political expediency'.