The father of convicted spokesman of the Boko Haram sect Ali Sanda Umar Konduga, also known as Usman Al-Zawahiri, Alhaji Sanda Konduga, has stated that his son has had a long history of insanity. The elder Konduga also said that he was not aware that his son had been arrested and summarily tried and sentenced.
This development is coming as the Boko Haram sect yesterday reportedly killed an ANPP youth leader alongside two other persons shortly after a wedding ceremony. The youth leader, Alhaji Modunga Borift and his two friends were said to have been shot dead at about 10.30am, barely 40 minutes after their friends wedded. At the time of going to press it was not clear what motive was behind the killings and no arrests were made.
Alhaji Konduga, a former leader of the GNPP during the Second Republic, who spoke with journalists at Nackovad Hotel in Abuja yesterday, could not produce any medical report to back up his claim. It is believed that if the claim of his son’s madness is admitted in a court of law, it could serve as an alibi to repudiate his allegation against some prominent Nigerians who were accused of being the sponsors of the sect.
The elder Konduga also apologised to Sen. Ali Ndume, the late Ambassador Saidu Pindar and Borno elders for the “embarrassment” caused by his son’s claims. He noted the family’s surprise that a lawyer was not provided for the son during the trial, adding that it would have availed the family an opportunity to declare his mental history.
Recalling that his son grew up under the guidance of his sister where he completed his primary education, but could not confirm that his son had any further education. Alhaji Konduga said: “Ali Sanda Konduga, since his childhood, has faced mental challenges and it is unfortunate that we now find ourselves in this situation. “We want to seize this opportunity to apologize to Sen. Ali Ndume, the late Amb. Saidu Pindar’s family and the elders of Borno for the pain and embarrassment caused on account of the claims of my son.”
Konduga was arrested on November 3 in Borno by the State Security Service (SSS) and promptly taken to trial where he pleaded guilty to the offences, for which he was sentenced to nine years in prison.
The SSS deputy director, public relations, Mrs. Marilyn Ogar, said that Konduga was picked up during a joint security operation. She also alleged that? he?????? was behind several threat text messages in recent times, and was also a political thug.
She said that Konduga confessed during investigation that he was recruited by a party stalwart in Maiduguri, and that it was the politician who gave him the pseudonym “Usman Al-Zawahiri’’.
Ogar also said that the suspect confessed that one of his political sponsors promised him N10 million but that he died while in the process of delivering the first tranche of N5 million.
The elder Konduga said yesterday: “Ordinarily, we thought he will face a trial with legal representation, for us to explain the unfortunate circumstances surrounding his mental challenges. It is unfortunate that we now find ourselves in this situation. We shall therefore appeal against this judgment. We plead for understanding of all as we strive to ensure the review of his unfortunate and improper conviction without a counsel representation”,? he said.