[Palamedes]

What? Umaru Dikko, an embezzler, thief and corrupt politician? Not so, says former President Shehu Shagari: In one interview Shehu Shagari gave, he claimed that Umaru is a pauper and here is a portion of the interview:

“President Shagari:...Umaru is very harmless. Umaru, for those who were in my government know that there are many things which happened during that period that Umaru had no idea about... But he is the type of person who likes to talk all the time and defend the government even when it is not necessary. So it is the manner he speaks or acts that some people don't like but he is a very good man. All the rubbish they wrote about him that he stole billions of Naira people can now see were false. Umaru is not a person like that, go and find out about him, he is more or less a pauper because money did not mean anything to him "

At an advanced age, elder statesman status and very religious, one would expect former President Shehu Shagari to have come clean on Dikko, but what does he do? He continues to defend his brother in law. It seems that in Shehu Shagari's world, family comes before country.