Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Isa Pantami has denied claims linking him to the 2004 killing of Sunday Achi, a student of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi.
Mr Pantami issued the denial on Tuesday in response to a post by X user, who accused him of involvement in the death of the 400-level Architecture student who was killed by a mob on campus 20 years ago.
The X user, identified as Sodiq, wrote, “You that killed a student in ATBU, you’re now forming holier than thou. Ori e ti daru Pantami.”
Pantami rejected the allegation, calling it “100% untrue.”
He wrote, “Thank you for saying your mind. You are making an allegation that is 100% untrue. I have never killed or directed anyone to kill anyone in my life, either directly or indirectly.”
Pantami asked anyone with evidence to take the matter to court, adding, “Help the relatives of the deceased and take the matter to court. Alternatively, if you are strong enough, provide your full details so that I can take you to court for the false allegation.”
The former minister also said the online post relied on wrong information.
“Grok and other AI that you depend on get input from the available information online. It could be wrong many times. If you are sure of your allegations, take the matter to court,” he wrote.
“Otherwise, let us have your verifiable details so that we can meet in court. FYI, I have never presented any fatwa in that regard to kill anyone. Take it to court. Do not depend on an immature Hausa translator. Once again, let me have your verifiable details (not an unverifiable name on X) to take you to court for the allegations.”
The exchange renewed public interest in comments made in 2021 by Professor Samuel Achi, father of the late student.
Mr Achi told PUNCH in the interview that his son, a leader in a Christian students’ fellowship, was accused of circulating a tract said to contain blasphemous content, which he insisted the tract did not contain.
He said his son was strangled inside the ATBU mosque in the early hours of December 9, 2004, and his body was later found outside the building.
He added that the then governors of Kaduna and Bauchi states assisted in retrieving the corpse.
Achi said he was aware that Pantami was the Chief Imam of the ATBU mosque at the time, but did not accuse him of directing or taking part in the killing.
He said he had forgiven those responsible but maintained that “the blood of my son would always haunt whoever has a hand in killing him.”
Achi said, “The incident happened in the early hours of the 9th of December 2004. From the confirmed information that I had, he was not stoned. He was strangled inside the mosque. His body was discovered outside the university mosque.”
He added, “As a Christian, my belief is that even though they killed him by pronouncing fatwa against him, he was doing God’s work, so I don’t think we have to worry about it. God has comforted us and we have been able to forgive everybody that did that act.”
When asked if he knew Isa Pantami was Chief Imam at the time, he said, “Yes, it is all over the place; I don’t want to go back on that.”
