FOLLOWING the wide sharing of video purportedly showing an attempted attack on President Muhammadu Buhari at the Argungu Agricultural and Fishing Festival in Kebbi State, the alleged attacker, Mohammed Jamil Bello says the president’s outstanding virtues had motivated his action.

In the eight seconds video clip, Bello was seen to have disrupted a photo session of the president and  with Kebbi State Governor, Abubakar Bagudu and other politicians during the festival.

He was restrained from getting to the president by security operatives who whisked him away

Later, voices at the background were heard expressing anger at Bello’s action.

The presidency had issued a statement saying Bello only attempted to greet the president at close range.

The official statement noted that the viral video was an international act by “professional contortionists to attack the president and make a mischief of the event”.

To further clear the air, Bello had issued a statement saying, “I did not attack President Muhammadu Buhari.

“I was emotionally attached to his outstanding virtues of honesty and craved to shake him”.

In the statement disclosed on the official Twitter page of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Bello condemned the misrepresentation in the press. He added that he was not tortured by  the men of the state security services.

“Press, your misinterpretation of the event, if you have done so, because I have not had the opportunity to view the clip or otherwise, Please I am alive. DSS has never tortured me, even apart from within the premises for me to go to the car. Nobody ever tortured me,” he said.

His statement read in full: “Yesterday was a different day for me because as a graduate of public administration who graduated with second class lower nothing far away from third class…

“…It took a lot of grace to attempt to get the attention of Mr President despite the fact that there is well-fleshed security architecture but I am sorry for the disturbances I caused, it was the emotional love for the person who has been the most integrity nurtured, honest, and incorruptible.

“Everybody in the place and beyond and the wider world has never cautioned the consistency, the integration; the honesty; the righteousness; of Mr president on national issue even on his personal life.

“He has worked as military administration; he has worked as a minister under a military government; he has worked as director NNPC. He also worked as a military ruler; He has worked under Gen Sani Abacha as PTF executive director.

“And by all account, no a single kobo has been messed up under Mr President, since 2015 till date. None ever questioned whether national resources, whether the material resources this country was ever squandered even by one single naira note, by Mr President.

“This is the reason, instinct, values and things that gladden my heart for Mr President,” Bello explaining his reasons for attempting to greet the president, stating that Thursday action had brought his long desires to fulfilment — to meet the president one—on—one.