Konduga, Boko Haram First Convict Arrested at Ndume’s Residence

BY Michael Olugbode

The first member of the Boko Haram to be convicted by the court, Ali Sandar Umar Konduga, known to the sect as Al-Zawahiri has been arrested by the police at the resident of the Senate Major Leader, Mohammed Ali Ndume, in Maiduguri.

Konduga who had alleged that the senator was one of the major financiers of the terrorist sect, was sent to prison over five years ago.

Though Konduga was sent to prison for act of terrorism, the case against Ndume had dragged till he rose to become the majority leader of the Senate.

Konduga was however freed last week after serving his sentence. He made his way to Maiduguri and was seen at the residence of Ndume, representing Borno South at the Senate.

He was arrested by the police after they were tipped off by fearful residents of Maiduguri who felt that he might be loitering around the residence of the lawmaker to harm him.

Though the majority leader is said to be away to Saudi Arabia where he is on holy pilgrimage, sources said Konduga was identified, beaten and arrested on Wednesday after he sneaked into the Senator’s House.

He was said to have made an appearance at the residence thrice since Sunday 11th September 2016.

Konduga according to Ndume’s family source, “kept on coming to the Senator’s house and had continuously apologised to the immediate family of the lawmaker for indicting their patriarch.”

The father of Konduga had earlier warned that his son was mentally unstable and could be dangerous.

Some of those that notice Konduga sneaking into Ndume’s house a day to Sallah at about 8pm, said he had insisted that he wanted to see and apologise to the Senator.

The security at the gate had accosted Konduga, informing him that the senator was not in the house, but he requested to see Justice Aisha Ndume, one of the senator’s wives.

He was asked to come back the following day.

When he made a re-appearance, the police were called to arrest him.

A source said: “Policemen in charge of G.R.A police station were alerted and swung into action by arresting Konduga. He is now in police custody, while Senator Ndume has been informed”.

It was gathered that efforts had already commenced to ascertain the father’s assertion of his being mentally unstable.

Konduga was said to have been taken to Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital, Maiduguri at about 10am on Friday to ascertain his mental health.

Meanwhile, Senator Ndume in a telephone interview with journalists confirmed the arrest of Konduga at his residence in Maiduguri by the Police, insisting that he did not have further details, as he was presently out of the country for 2016 Hajj.