Elder brother to the governor of Borno State, Shettima Mohammed Shettima, narrowly escaped death when his vehicle was involved in an accident on the road to Kano where he had gone to catch a flight to Saudi Arabia for the lesser hajj.

The governor’s brother had to travel to Kano to catch the international flight due to the closure of the Maiduguri Airport by the military on June 27, ostensibly for security reasons.

The older Shettima lost his police orderly in the crash which occurred on a day the military temporarily opened the Maiduguri Airport for former governor of Born State, Ali Modu Sherrif, to land in his private jet.

The governor of the state, Kashim Shettima, was not allowed to fly from the Maiduguri airport to visit his brother admitted at a Kano hospital, but was compelled to make the five hour road journey.

But, our correspondent reports that he Sheriff was allowed by the federal government to fly into the Maiduguri Airport aboard his private jet.

The former governor arrived the airport at about 1:40pm on board his jet with registration number 5NBMH to the waiting hands of dozens of soldiers led by the Garrison Commander, 7 Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri, Colonel D.R. Hassan who led troops to provide security for him and his entourage.

The plane subsequently departed the airport at 2:22 pm and is expected to return on Tuesday to airlift the former governor.

Sheriff is expected to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and lead the re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan in Borno State.

He arrived the state capital in the company of some of his political associates, including Mohammed Imam, said to be interested in running for governor of the state in 2015, AbdulRahman Terab, Lawan Isa and Peter Biye, all members of House of Representatives from the state.

Others who arrived with him in the chartered flight include, Mala Othman and Yusuf Adamu both former chairman and secretary of the defunct All Nigeria People’s Party, ANPP, respectively.