Media practitioner, Yushau Shuaib has narrated how Daily Nigerian publisher, Jaafar Jaafar fled Nigeria after the viral dollar video showing Kano Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.
The Editor-in-Chief of PRNigeria made a Facebook post at the weekend after visiting Jaafar who is in exile in London, United Kingdom.
Shuaib noted that the journalist was forced to leave his fatherland after suffering a series of political harassments and security threats.
The former National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) spokesman recalled seeing off Jaafar to the airport as he flew out about a year ago.
“A few days before Jaafar Jaafar left, I visited him in Kano where he showed me CCTV footage of strange movements around his residence.
“Less than 24 hours after, similar movements were noticed in his Abuja residence. Later he received security invitations over frivolous allegations.
“I am very happy to visit his family in their safe abode one year after today. We discussed power failure, petrol scarcity, ASUU strike etc,” he said.
Shuaib said Jaafar wished Nigeria could be better so that everyone would be proud of safety and prosperity.
Jaafar confirmed he quietly travelled out of the country because he had been marked for elimination.
“I am very sorry that I could not inform my colleagues, friends and family. The situation at that time did not permit any disclosure”, he explained.
The publisher and his family were granted an emergency entry into the UK due to the severity of the intimidation.
In an interview with BBC Hausa in March 2021, Ganduje disclosed they were planning to deal with persons who released the videos that sparked outrage.
Jaafar then wrote a petition to the former Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu on the renewed threats to his life.
In April 2021, the police invited him for questioning bordering on “criminal conspiracy, defamation, injurious falsehood and inciting violence”.
The letter signed by ACP A. A. Elleman demanded his appearance appear on Monday, April 19, 2021, “to shed more light on the allegation”.
But after receiving intelligence that he would be incarcerated for “daring to expose a sitting governor”, Jaafar fled Nigeria from a secret location.