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Tag: Zamfara

  • Gunmen kidnap brothers of Zamfara APC governorship candidate

    Two brothers of the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate in Zamfara State, Dauda Dare, have been abducted by gunmen.

    The two brothers Yusuf, a staff of First Bank Plc and Abba, a graduate, were abducted in Gusau Zamfara state on Sunday.

    They are between 37- 39 years.

    Their elder brother, Alhaji Musa Lawan, revealed that two brothers were abducted in Gada Biyu Gusau metropolis last Sunday.

    He applauded the military for launching operation Harbin Kunama III, which gives him hope of reuniting with brothers.

    Lawan revealed his two brothers were abducted in front of their residence at about 9pm Sunday night in Gada Biyu in the heart of Gusau metropolis.

    Yusuf, according to him, is a staff of First Bank Plc in Kaduna and just returned for the weekend when the incident occurred.

    Abba, he said, is a graduate but yet to secure employment.

    He said: “I was terribly shocked and traumatised from the time I heard of the news of their kidnap.

    “So are all the members of our family. We are confused and praying that they are in good condition of health.”

    According to him, it was the same point that another of his brother’s wife vehicle was snatched about 9 pm.

    He urged the military to keep to their promise to rescue those abducted safely.

    He urged the military and other security to use all available means to curtail the activities of kidnapping and criminal activities in the state and the country at large.

    The Police Public Relation Officer, SP Muhammad Shehu, confirmed the incident.

    He disclosed the police have since dispatched team of professional officers and the command is doing its best to endure that the perpetrators are brought to book.

    There had been no communication from the abductors with the family as at the time of filing this report.

  • Several dead, others injured as bandits attack Zamfara communities

    Several dead, others injured as bandits attack Zamfara communities

    Armed persons on Saturday attacked some communities in Zamfara State killing at least 10 people.

    According to a report by Premium Times, the attackers invaded Kursasa, Kurya and Gidan Achali communities in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State shooting sporadically.

    Residents say over 40 people, mainly farmers, were killed in the attacks. The police, however, say 10 people were killed.

    “At Gidan Achali community alone, over 20 people were massacred. And at Kursasa community, 10 people were killed while at Kurya, 13 persons were reported dead,” an official of the Shinkafi Local Government Area said under anonymity.

    He said the “number of people killed at Gidan Achali community is terrible because the high number of casualties in the area is worrisome.

    The source lamented that despite the repeated attacks on Shinkafi and other local governments in Zamfara, the armed persons still moved freely during the act without being challenged by any security operative.

    “It is just like there is no constituted authority in Zamfara State. Nobody cares about our lives.

    “We have now become easy prey for bandits in Shinkafi,” he said.

    When contacted, the Zamfara police spokesperson, Mohammed Shehu, said only 10 people were killed at an onion farm in Kursasa community.

    He said security personnel have been mobilised to the area.

    Attacks on communities in Zamfara have continued in the past year despite the deployment of thousands of military and police personnel to the state.

    Apart from killing residents of the communities, the attackers also kidnap people for ransom.

  • North Korean doctor abducted by bandits in Zamfara

    Bandits have abducted a North Korean doctor attached to Tsafe Local Government General Hospital in Zamfara state, Dr Jen Sunail.

    Sunail, a physiotherapist, was abducted by suspected armed bandits on Monday.

    According to residents, the bandits cordoned the town at around 9:00 pm and went straight to the staff quarters of the hospital where the expatriate doctor was whisked away.

    Findings revealed that Dr. Sunail was posted on contract between North Korea and Zamfara State.

    The abductee has been stationed in Tsafe General Hospital for over three years, The Nation reports.

    Bandits have been constantly terrorising Tsafe, Danjibga, Yan doto, Yan waren Daji, Kwarin Ganuwa and Keta for weeks.

    A resident of the local government, Mustafa Mu’azu, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to do everything within his powers to curtail activities of the bandits.

    He said bandits had been kidnapping, raping women, looting and killing innocent people in Zamfara State.

    He said without troop intervention, the insecurity in Zamfara state may escalate to uncontrollable level.

    Police Public Relation Officer of Zamfara State, SP Muhammad Shehu, confirmed the incident when contacted.

    Shehu said the abduction had been reported to the Divisional Police Officer, DPO attached to Tsafe Local Government headquarters by the doctor’s colleague, Dr. Li Dong.

    “On the 26/03/2019, around 945hours, Dr. Li Dong reported to the police that his colleague Dr. Jeng Sunail was not seen in his room inside the staff quarters he shared with other three persons working in the hospital.

    “The Commissioner of Police, CP Celestine Okoye had directed the state criminal investigation and intelligence department (CIID), state intelligence bureau (SIB) and anti- kidnapping squad team to commence investigation and search and rescue and unveil the circumstances behind the missing of the expatriate doctor,” he said in a statement.

  • A’Court judgement: INEC suspends presentation of Certificates of Return to Zamfara governor-elect, others

    The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), has reacted to the Appeal Court judgment, which nullified the participation of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2019 elections in Zamfara State.

    Recall that the Court of Appeal sitting in Sokoto led by Justice Tom Yakubu, had on Monday set aside the judgment of a Zamfara High Court on the APC primaries that produced the party’s candidates for the governorship, National and State Assembly elections.

    Reacting, INEC in a tweet on Tuesday said it has suspended the presentation of Certificates of Return for the Zamfara Governorship and State House of Assembly which was scheduled for Wednesday.

    The tweet reads, ”INEC has been served with the judgment of the Court of Appeal Sokoto concerning the sponsoring of candidates by the APC in Zamfara and is studying same.

    “Consequently, the presentation of Certificates of Return for the Zamfara Governorship and State House of Assembly scheduled for Wednesday 27th March 2019 has been suspended.”

  • Bandits kill policeman, abduct four in Zamfara

    A group of unidentified bandits attacked a mining site on Wednesday in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara, killing one of the six mobile policemen on guard and abducting the others.

    Speaking to journalists on phone, one of the eye witnesses to the attack, Salisu Lawali, said the bandits invaded the site situated in Sunke village after sporadic gun shots, disarmed the policemen, killing one of them in the process.

    He explained that the gunmen abducted the policemen to an unknown destination and released them the following day without their guns.

    Lawali said: “I don’t think there was any negotiation, because the abducted policemen just returned to the site unhurt, the only thing missing were their guns which they said were in the custody of their abductors,” he said.

    Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Anka local government area, Alhaji Mustapha Gado, said the policemen were deployed to man the site.

    He said that the abductees were released after some hours.

    “The Divisional Police officer of the local government told me that the officers were released but their rifles were still in the custody of the bandits.

    “We have earlier ordered for the closure of all the goldmines, but the foreign expatriates can still be found because their machineries are stationed at the sites.

    “We consulted the relevant authorities on the need to close down the sites and we got approval, we served them with quit notice but those operating the sites sourced for security operatives to man the sites for them,” he added.

    Meanwhile, the Police Command in the state could not be reached for comments on the matter.

  • Killings: Bandits in Zamfara have access to more arms than security agencies, Yari raises alarm

    Killings: Bandits in Zamfara have access to more arms than security agencies, Yari raises alarm

    Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State on Tuesday in Abuja raised alarm over stock piling of arms by bandits operating in the state.

    Yari made this known while speaking with State House correspondents after he had updated President Muhammadu Buhari on the socio-political and security developments in the state.

    The governor, who ruled out dialogue with bandits, said: “I have told my people that dialogue will no longer take place during my time because I have done that three times, but it did not work.

    “This is in the sense that we know their capacity.

    “For instance, during the first dialogue, they invited some of our team, army, DSS, police, and my chief security officer as well as some representatives of traditional rulers and we have seen what they have.

    “They are in control of the kind of weapons that the security command in Zamfara does not have.

    “In one armoury alone, they have more than 500 AK 47 rifles; we saw it.

    “Our people were even given the chance to take pictures.

    “But when we said we will dialogue and offer them amnesty if they surrendered their arms, they refused.

    “I can tell you that till date we have not received up to 90 AK 47 rifles.

    “So it is deceit. That is why I said no more dialogue during my tenure.

    “During dry season they try to get us to dialogue because they know the security forces can get to them anywhere in the forest and they would not have a place to hide.

    “But when the rainy season comes and the forest becomes thicker they return to their normal practice.

    “That is why I said there has to be a show of force before anything else.

    “I know that in any war, eventually you have to come to the table and dialogue, but at this point and given the situation we are in right now, dialogue is not needed.’’

    The governor expressed the hope that the federal government would soon address the security challenges facing the state as it would soon take delivery of military hardware and modern weapons to check the activities of the bandits in the area and beyond.

    “The federal government has already given procurement contracts, inter-government transactions to the United States, China, and other European countries.

    In 2018, the Nigeria Governors Forum, approved one billion dollars to help the federal government equip the security agencies.

    “We believe the equipment will soon come into the country and it is our hope that the equipment will be used so that this worrying situation that we are in will become history,’’ he added.

  • Election: 14 out of 24 Zamfara Assembly members lose return bid

    Election: 14 out of 24 Zamfara Assembly members lose return bid

    A total of 14 out of the 24 members of Zamfara State House of Assembly have lost their bid to return to the assembly, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    NAN reports however that out of the 24 assembly members, nine are returning to the house while the Speaker, Alhaji Sanusi Rikiji, had would proceed to the House of Representatives.

    Those who lost out include the Deputy Speaker, Alhaji Muhammad Abubukar, Chief Whip, Abdullahi Dansadau, Dayyabu Rijiya, Deputy Chief Whip, Malam-Mani Malam-Mummuni, Abubakar Ajiya and Hashimu Shehu-Gazura.

    Others are Alhaji Salisu Musa, Bello Fagon, Shehu Ibrahim, Muazu Faru, Mansur Muhammad Dambala, Lawali Dagonkade and Abu Dahiru.

    All the 14 lawmakers lost out when the All Progressives Congress (APC) adopted consensus in nominating candidates for the general elections in the state.

    Meanwhile, the nine returning lawmakers who contested and won in the just concluded are, the Leader of the House, Alhaji Isah Abdulmumin, his deputy, Bello Maiwurno, Aliyu Ango-Kagara, Abu Ibrahim-Maru, and Ibrahim Kwatarkwashi.

    The rest are Aminu Danjibga, Maniru Gidanjaja, Yusuf Moriki, and Kabiru Moyi.

    NAN further reports that the APC won all the 24 seats of the state assembly at last Saturday’s State Assembly elections.

  • APC omitted from INEC results sheet in Zamfara

    APC omitted from INEC results sheet in Zamfara

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed regrets over the omission of the acronym of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the results sheet for Saturday’s Governorship and House of Assembly elections in Zamfara.

    This is contained in a statement signed by the commission’s National Secretary, Mrs Rose Oriaran-Anthony, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gusau on Friday.

    The statement with reference number INEC/SEC/265/Vol.ll/X and dated 8/3/2019, was circulated to the chairmen of all political parties and other stakeholders in the state.

    It recalled its earlier compliance to a Zamfara High Court ruling No. ZMS/GS/52/2018, which ordered the commission to include the APC on the ballot paper for all elections in the state which made it possible for the party to participate in the Feb. 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    The commission noted that it also included the party on ballot papers for the governorship and state legislative elections but lamented that the party was not on the Result Sheets.

    “However, the commission has just discovered that because of the suddenness of the court order, the party (APC) was omitted for the Governorship Result Sheets.

    “This omission is deeply regretted.

    “As a solution, the commission has decided to manually create columns in each of the Result Sheets after the last printed party, ZLP, and insert the APC.

    “This does not affect any other information on the Results Sheet,” it explained.

    Meanwhile, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Dr Asmau Maikudi, has assured that the commission had completed all arrangements for an early start of the governorship and state assembly polls in the state.

    Maikudi, who commended the cooperation of the stakeholders in the state, especially security agencies, politicians and the media, re-assured that the umpire would conduct free, fair, credible and acceptable election in the state.

    She said all elections materials which were distributed to all the 14 local government areas of the state under the supervision of party agents and other stakeholders had reached their destinations without any hitch.

    “This will guarantee the good start of the elections process on record time,” she said.

  • 30 killed in fresh Zamfara carnage

    30 killed in fresh Zamfara carnage

    About 30 people are feared killed in a reprisal attack by hoodlums on members of a local vigilance group known as “Yan sa kai” in Kwari community of Shinkafi local government of Zamfara State in the early hours of Friday.

    No fewer than 60 others were also abducted by bandits during a raid of the area on Wednesday.

    Governor Abdul Aziz Yari visited the town yesterday and told the brains behind the bloodletting that there would be no negotiation with them and that they would not know peace unless they put an end to their nefarious activities.

    Residents said the hoodlums who had laid an ambush unexpectedly attacked a convoy of vehicles conveying traders from Shinkafi market back to Kwari at about 11.45pm.

    The police said they found at the scene of the attack 13 corpses of traders and another 16 of members of the civilian JTF in the surrounding bush.

    Moment after the governor arrived the town yesterday, he received a call on the mobile phone of the Emir of Lanka purportedly from the bandits in their hilly hideouts seeking a soft landing as they were tired of killing people.

    A furious Yari however swore that the bandits would not know peace.

    Government, he said, would use all available means to dislodge them and avenge their inhuman treatment of innocent people.

    He said the Air Force would soon smoke them out of hiding.

    A chief of the town and three of his wives were abducted although one of the women was later released.

    A resident said farmers are finding it increasingly difficult to go to their farms for fear of being killed.

    Several operational vehicles of the police burned by the hoodlums litter the area.

    Many resident have relocated to the state capital, Gusau.

  • Zamfara APC candidates: Court strikes out motion seeking stay of judgment

    The Court of Appeal Sokoto Division on Friday struck out a motion seeking a stay of the judgment delivered by the Zamfara High Court, allowing the All Progressives Congress (APC) to field candidates in the 2019 Election.

    The motion was filed by the Appellant, Sen. Kabiru Marafa, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) and 129 others through their Counsel, Mr Benson Igbanoi.

    Delivering judgment, Justice Ahmad Belgore, ordered the parties in the suit to exchange necessary correspondences according to stipulated rules concerning pre-election matters.

    Belgore adjourned the case until March 13, for hearing.

    A Zamfara High Court recognised the primary elections held by APC in the state and declared that INEC accepts the party candidates for the elections.

    Unsatisfied with State High Court decision, the appellants, approached the appeal court challenging the decision on the ground that the State High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit among others.

    A similar case was instituted before the same appeal court by Rep. Aminu Jaji, a Governorship aspirant and member representing Kauran Namoda/Birnin Magaji Federal Constituency and was dismissed after Jaji withdrew.