Who is Bashir Hadejia? -Daily Trust

BAshir Hadejia became a household name in Nigeria after he was arrested by police officers of the Force Intelligence Department-Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT), supported by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department-Special Tactical Squad (FID-STS).

A search warrant issued by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), FCT Police Command, dated August 12, 2024, showed that the suspect was charged with “treason and subversion against the state”. He was also alleged to be behind the recent protest that shook the country.

Information has since revealed that Hadejia was an adviser to a former governor. Photos have also surfaced of him posing with prominent Nigerians, including former President Muhammadu Buhari, President Bola Tinubu and his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.

Daily trust followed his story and discovered more about his background and his many business and political connections.

His full name is Bashir Muhammad Umar Mai-Shadai Hadejia. His father was a former director at Nacaco Wire and Cable Company in Kaduna State.

Hadejia was born and raised at Ohinoyi Road, Unguwar Rimi GRA, Kaduna but his personal house is located at Kakino Road in the same Unguwar Rimi GRA. He is about 47 years old. Both his mother and father are from Hadejia, Jigawa State.

His father, Umaru Hadejia as he was fondly called in Unguwar Rimi, was a close friend of a former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido and a stakeholder of the PDP from Dankoli Ward in Hadejia LGA. Although Bashir’s surname is Hadejia, some residents of Hadejia claim that Bashir has never been to Hadejia.

A resident of Hadejia, Aminuddeen Musa Hadejia, said: “Although Bahsir carries Hadejia, he has visited Hadejia once in his life. He was born and bred in Kaduna and has spent part of his life in Kaduna, Kano and Abuja; but not in Hadejia.”

Why Bashir Hadejia is connected to many ‘big’ men

Aminudeen said: “Bashir is a kind of person who believes in hustling. He has close ties with so many big men since he was in his 30s and now. There is no big wig in Abuja or any other state that Bashir cannot connect you with. He has strong ties with so many top politicians and businessmen in Abuja and other major cities in the 36 states.

“This may not be unrelated to the nature of his business. Bashir has been involved in solid minerals for a number of years. I think it is the nature of his business that gives him the opportunity to connect with so many big names in the country.”

Hadejia’s connections with high-ranking politicians and office holders are evident from the several photographs he took with them, including those of former President Buhari, President Tinubu, Gbajabiamila; the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu; and the two Ministers of Defence, Badaru Abubakar and Muhammad Bello Matawalle.

Connection between Matawalle and Hadejia

A Zamfara politician, Muhmmad Ali Musa Gusau, who knows Hadejia, said Bashir Hadejia was among the inner cabal members of former Zamfara State Governor Muhammad Bello Matawalle, recalling that, “Although he held no position under Matawalle, he was called Kafi Gwamna because of his influence. His closeness to Matawalle was unimaginable.

“Hadejia was one of the few people who had unfettered access to Matawalle when he was governor. He could put you in touch with him at any time, with or without an appointment. But to be fair to both of them, we were convinced that their relationship was purely for business purposes.

“The two are in the gold business and they need each other. I don’t know what happened between them later, but as far as I know, they deal in gold. I don’t know when they broke up and what led to their breakup.”

Unanswered questions regarding Hadejia’s arrest

Comrade Bala Abdullahi, a well-known activist in Jigawa, expressed some doubt about the allegations against Hadejia.

He said: “I am not saying Hadejia is innocent of the crimes he is accused of, but there are many questions that need to be answered before we can conclude that the man actually committed the crimes.

“I said that because the video clip where Hadejia shows gold was filmed almost two years ago and the gold in it is fake. Why is it being shown now? How did Hadejia escape security checks at both Libyan and Nigerian airports because I heard he was arrested at his residence in Abuja? Why is he arrested now even though the video was filmed two years ago?

“He was also accused of arms smuggling. Where are the copies of the weapons found on him? He was accused of having a hand in the just ended protest over deprivation; tell me how a benefactor of a government can plan such a protest against the government?

“I think there are still so many unanswered questions associated with this saga, and unless the federal government investigates this matter thoroughly, the truth of it will never come to light.

So my advice to the government is to investigate this matter thoroughly and Hadejia must be given the opportunity to speak and tell his own side of the story. Otherwise we will not get to the heart of this matter.

“This is a critical issue that government should not joke about. Gold mining has a strong link with banditry and therefore government should set up a powerful panel of inquiry to look into this issue with a view to finding out the truth. I am confident that if this issue is handled by people with a track record, we will definitely get to the root of banditry and probably find a lasting solution to it because mining and banditry go hand in hand.”

Matawalle’s former assistant speaks

When contacted, an aide to the Minister of State for Defence, Alhaji Suleiman Shuaibu Shinkafi, dismissed allegations of a connection between Matawalle and Hadejia, but confirmed that there was a temporary business relationship between them.

He said: “Matawalle and Hadejia were doing business together but when the former realised that he was being cheated by the former, he broke off the relationship.

“I have never met Hadejia and I do not know him personally. It was only after Matawalle broke off that relationship that Hadejia became an enemy of my director. Hadejia is in fact our political enemy. He used his influence and seized our victory in the 2023 general elections.

“My director has many political enemies and they are the ones plotting all this against him to separate him from President Tinubu.

“Hadejia has also been photographed with other prominent figures including the President, Gbajabiamila and Ribadu, but their names are not mentioned.

“If Hadejia is found guilty, he must appear before a judge. We want the government to investigate this case and we will continue to follow it to its logical conclusion.”

Northern elders demand investigation

Northern Elders Forum (NEF) spokesman Abdul-Azeez Suleiman expressed concern over Hadejia’s arrest, describing the revelations as “appalling” and a threat to Nigeria’s stability.

He said the alleged activities that have come to light, ranging from arms smuggling to treason and cross-border crimes, pose a significant threat to the country’s sovereignty.

He said: “We have not discussed the matter at the level of the Northern Elders Forum but as a Nigerian of conscience, I can say with certainty that the revelations surrounding the arrest of Bashir Hadejia are appalling and the dark activities allegedly exposed by the arrest pose a serious threat not only to the sovereignty of our great nation but also to the fabric of our society.

“The roots of this threat run deep and the Nigerian authorities must take decisive action.”

He’s in jail – Police

Meanwhile, a week after the arrest of Alhaji Bashir Hadejia, the police have still not made any detailed comment.

Findings by one of our correspondents over the weekend revealed that the suspected arms smuggler was being held at the headquarters of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Abuja.

Police sources in the country’s capital told Daily Trust that the case was “quite serious” and delicate, which is why security operatives were cautious before telling Nigerians about the case.

A source said: “The man is involved in transnational crime; that means it is happening outside Nigeria, so it is important that the matter is handled with care. What I will say is that action takes place before talk.”

When one of our correspondents approached the NPF spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, he said: “He is in custody.”