Nigerian launches crowdfunding campaign to help Reuben Abati

In apparent attempt to mock
Reuben Abati, a man, Ettu
Mohammed, on Sunday opened a
fundraising campaign on
Gofundme.com on his behalf.
The man asked Nigerians to
“please save Reuben Abati from
EFCC.”
He said the former presidential
spokesperson was influenced by
“Aso Rock evil spirits” to collect
N50 million from former National
Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
Mr. Abati, former spokesperson
to ex-president Goodluck
Jonathan, was arrested by EFCC
operatives on Monday over
allegations he illicitly received
N50 million from the former NSA.
Although Mr. Abati was offered
administrative bail that requires
presenting a senior federal civil
servant – preferably a director –
with landed properties in Abuja,
EFCC sources said he had been
unable to meet the bail
conditions.
EFCC has asked various persons
involved in illicit financial flow
with the former NSA to refund
what they collected. Sources at
the commission told PREMIUM
TIMES that Mr. Abati admitted in
his statement that he received
the money but said he spent in
on media relations and would not
return same.
“Reuben Abati the spokesman of
ex-president Goodluck Jonathan is
under lock and key for
voluntarily collecting the sum of
50m Ngn from Sambo Dasuki,”
Mr. Mohammed, a staunch
supporter of President
Muhammadu Buhari wrote on
Gofundme.com, an online
fundraising platform.
“We believe he must have been under the
influence of Aso Rock evil spirit,” he added,
asking for $108,000 in donations to Mr. Abati
who recently wrote an article narrating how
the Aso Rock was pervaded by evil spirits.
When operatives questioned him about how
he spent the funds, Mr. Abati reportedly said
he disbursed it to media practitioners in his
capacity as the spokesman for the Goodluck
Jonathan administration.
But he said he did not keep records of the
disbursement when queried for evidence.
“We are begging Nigerians to save Reuben
Abati from detention, Mr. Mohammed later
told PREMIUM TIMES on phone.
“Two weeks ago, he said there were evil
spirits in Aso Rock but he was running
around for Goodluck Jonathan to return so
that he could continue working on the same
place infested by evil spirits.”
But over 12 hours, after the campaign was
opened, nobody has donated.
“Nigerians are angry,” Mr. Mohammed, an
electrical engineer, said, explaining reason
why no one had donated.
He asked Mr. Buhari to “simultaneously build
infrastructure and institutions for operations
and maintenance”.