Insecurity: Place your son under “house arrest”, Salis counsels Tinubu

A New York-based lawyer and chartered accountant, Chief Owolabi Salis, has advised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to restrict the movement of his son, Jide, mostly within the precincts of the Presidential Villa for security reasons.

He spoke against the backdrop of Jide’s seeming public exposure since Tinubu’s presidency in the wake of rising insecurity across the country.

Salis, in a statement from his United States (US) base noted that this has become expedient in view of the experiences of some children of first families and prominent politicians in the country.

According to him, though Jide, an adult, was entitled to his fundamental rights, including freedom of movement, it would do him a lot of good to stay safe, especially at this time.

He said:  “Going by our recent history, I want to advise President Tinubu to restrict his son to the precincts of the Presidential Villa most of the time for his personal safety. Truth be told, Jide has become further politically-exposed, especially with the advent of the Tinubu presidency and needs to keep his head at a time like this. Most of us would recall that Senator Iyabo Obasanjo Bello escaped assassins’ bullets by the whiskers, but her friend was not that lucky.

“Some are still saying that the motorbike accident which almost claimed the life of President Buhari’s son in Abuja was beyond the ordinary, same for Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s son, who died in a controversial accident many years ago, even as former military ruler, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, maintained a very tight security presence around his family while in office.

“As a concerned Nigerian, one cannot but express his feelings at this time that virtually every part of the country is still unsafe due to activities of undesirable elements. Jide’s enormous contributions to the election of his father cannot be overemphasized as he was a rallying point for youths whom he mobilized nationwide for what is today the Tinubu presidency.

“With elections over, it is time for the president to ensure that his son and indeed family are safe at all times and the best approach remains the tactical approach which requires a lot of discipline and deep thinking.

“Even the National Security Adviser told the whole world at the Editors’ Conference in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State that the nation was still battling security challenges, which is a testimonial to the existential threat in security poses to the nation.

“Nigerians are angry right now because of the pains and sufferings they are experiencing. I made whatsApp video calls to look at the faces of the people on the streets of Lagos, what I saw was anger.

“While the President is under full security protection with road closures, that cannot be the same for the members of the family. I messaged some of his friends and well-wishers in New York to advise him to stay safe. Putting family in a safe haven is not peculiar to Nigeria; it is an international phenomenon. Ask Putin and others.

“It is also high time for the son to set up a programme for the youths particularly tackling drug abuse. He should operate through proxy to avoid anger in the country.”

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