By Luka Binniyat 

KADUNA -Member of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Mr.Yakubu Nkom Bityong has been arrested by the State Security Services, SSS, in Port Harcourt over alleged involvement with Boko Haram Islamic militants.

Vanguard was informed that Bityong, who was a former Commissioner of Sports for in the state, was picked up while attending the last National Sports Festival, as Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, LOC, for the state contingent.

But his family said his arrest must have been a serious error on the part of the security agency, saying the man was a devout Christian and with no record of violence.

Bityong graduated from the University of Maiduguri in 1985 with first class degree in Physical Education.

It was learnt that Bityong who represents Kaura Constituency at the  Assembly got into trouble when a member of Boko Haram was found with his phone number while under investigation.

The SSS, according to Vanguard’s investigations, arrested him and flew him to Abuja last Friday. But on Saturday, he was flown to Kaduna and taken to his house, which was thoroughly searched.
 
It was gathered that after the searching which lasted over four hours, the security agents took away the lawmaker, the SIM pack of his mobile telephone as well as his cheque book for further scrutiny.

His family has however expressed shock that Bityong was still being held incommunicado since his arrest, insisting that the suspect was innocent of the crime he alleged to have committed.

A sibling of Bityong, who spoke to Vangaurd on the issue said “my brother is a devout Christian, and has never been associated with violence.

‘’We are shocked that he could be arrested in connection with Boko Haram or any form of violence. He is a sincere man, with the fear of God in him and as such he cannot be associated with the Boko Haram fundamentalist Muslim sect.”