YarʼAduaʼs mum robbed

From JACOB EDI, Abuja
Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Burglars from hell took caution to the wind before dawn on Monday as they broke into the family house of President YarʼAdua in Katsina and robbed his ageing mother, Hajiya Dada YarʼAdua in her bedroom.

Daily Sun learnt that the robbers beat the security around the house to have access to the room where the about 80-year-old mother of the president was sleeping through the air conditioner opening.

The presidentʼs mum reportedly did not wake up during the operation, as she was believed to have been hypnotized.

A source in Katsina told Daily Sun that Hajiya YarʼAdua only woke up to find that her room was in disorder and some of her jewelries had been removed.

The source, however, said the thieves were unable to unscramble the safe in the room to have access to its contents.

It was gathered that as early as 5 a.m. during the Muslim early morning Subhi prayers, the presidentʼs younger brother, Alhaji Jafaru had reportedly been informed by his mother about the incident. He in turn went to one of the presidentʼs sisters, Hajiya Hadi, to alert her to the development.

It could not be ascertained at press time whether the president had been informed, but it was gathered that the modest family house in Katsina, where the robbery took place was agog with family members and neighbours who were on hand to show their sympathies.

Mondayʼs incident has further raised questions about insecurity in the country where robbers walk easily into the bedroom of the mother of the president, even as there had been reported cases of politically- motivated killings in the state.

It was gathered that just last week, chairman of a local government in the state was killed and his body dumped on the street, just as Muktari Kakumi, assistant director, media, Katsina Agriculture and Rural Development Authority (KTARDA) was reportedly murdered in cold blood recently.