.as bandits free village head, wives
By Valentine Amanze
Zamfara State Governor, Alhaji Bello Muhammad, has warned the immediate past governor, Abdulazeez Yari, to keep-off his administration or face dire consequences.
He spat the fire while receiving six more abductees who were voluntarily released Thursday by the bandits as part of the ongoing peace process in the state. They include the village head of Yan Kaba, his two wives and three others.
His words: “Let me warn the former Governor to keep-off my administration, especially the peace process going on in the state or face dire consequences. I will no longer fold my arms and watch blatant sabotage from anybody.
“I am aware that the former governor, his boys in politics and even some local government chairmen are going about discrediting our efforts in bringing lasting peace to the state”.
The governor also alleged that some of the opposition party members were meeting the bandits to convince them in changing their minds about the peace process.
He said, “They are meeting the bandits or their representatives to convince them that our intention is not clean about the whole process. Hence I warn them once again to desist from their nefarious act or face our wrath”.
The peace process, since it began, has yielded positive results with the release of over 300 abductees voluntarily by the bandits, absence of more abductions as well as re-opening of major markets across the state and plying all major roads abandoned due to fear of attack.
Meanwhile, the Zamfara chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has faulted the suspension of Alhaji Ahmad Abubakar, the chairman, Maradun Local Government Area, from office.
Abubakar was suspended by the State House of Assembly on Wednesday over alleged complicity in security breaches.
Speaker of the House, Alhaji Nasiru Magarya, who announced the suspension during plenary, accused the local government official of violating the state government’s directives on security.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the suspension followed a petition signed by six “concerned citizens” of Maradun Local Government Area and sent to the House of Assembly.
Signatories to the petition included Bello Abdullahi, Tsibiri District; Amiru Sa’idu, Kaya District; Musa Muhammad, Damaga/Gamagiwa District, Mu’awiya Sardauna, Faru District; Aliyu M-Sulaiman, Gora District and Bashiru Saleh, Gidangoga District.
The petitioners had accused the chairman of “encouraging armed bandits and notorious kidnappers to freely operate in the local government”.
They said that the chairman’s attitude was frustrating the state government’s efforts to end the activities of the bandits.
“The chairman has failed to discharge his duties as the area’s chief security officer. He has refused to support government’s efforts toward ridding the state of bandits,” the petitioners said.
NAN reports that the lawmakers, after debating on the matter, unanimously resolved to suspend the council chairman.
Also suspended was Alhaji Abubakar Rafi, District Head, Boko West, in Moriki Emirate of Zurmi Local Government Area. Rafi had been accused of land confiscation.
Rafi was suspended after the lawmakers accepted the recommendations of its joint Committee on Public Petitions, State Security, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Reacting to the suspension, APC chairman in the state, Alhaji Lawal Liman, told NAN that it was not right to suspend the chairman based on allegation that had not been investigated.
“The State Assembly should know that the chairman was elected by the people. The chairman has a mandate, so due process must be followed before he is removed,” he said.
