GUNMEN have killed a senior Police officer, Musa Sakajiki, accused of working with bandits to attack innocent people in his village and other parts of Zamfara State.
Sakajiki, a superintendent of Police (ASP), was transferred from Birnin Magaji to Kasuwar Daji community in the state a few years ago for the same allegation.
“He was forced to leave Kasuwar Daji after the horrific kidnap of the district head of the community, Muhammad Sarki Fada,” an impeccable source from the state told The ICIR Thursday morning.
Sakajiki was fingered as bandits’ informant after the district head was kidnapped.
He was not the only officer accused of working with criminals in the state.
Earlier, a Police inspector, Kabir Musa, was killed by a suspected outlawed ‘Yansakai’ (CJTF) group.
Musa was killed for alleged abbeting banditry in Kasuwar Daji and neighbouring villages in the state.
He was a close friend of Musa Sakajiki, The ICIR gathered.
He worked at the Police outpost station in Nasarawar Mai-layi as a sergeant.
Because of frequent allegations of abetting crime levelled against him, he was transferred to Birni Majagi before he was again transferred to Kasuwar Daji where he served for over five years.
After serving in Kasuwar Daji, he was redeployed to Kwara State.
Following his promotion to ASP II rank, he was transferred back to Zamfara State, where he served at Kuryar Madaro’s station in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area.
The ICIR reached out to spokesperson of the State Police Command, Yezid Abubakar, on Thursday to seek his reaction to the allegations.
Abubakar did not pick the calls put across his lines. He also did not respond to WhatsApp and text messages sent to him on the matter by our reporter.
On October 18, The ICIR reported youth defying the Army and Police while blocking the Gusau-Kaura Namoda highway at the Sakajiki community on Tuesday, October 17, over recurring bandit attacks, killings, abductions and other insecurity issues in the state.
The action stemmed from incessant bandit attacks and worsening insecurity in the state.
Days after the protest, and after the state residents had accused him of abandoning the state insecurity challenges to attend a political campaign rally in Imo State, the state Governor Dauda Lawal appointed sole administrators for the state’s Local Government Areas, as part of measures to restore peace to the state.
The state’s immediate past governor, Bello Matalle, lost re-election in March after battling unsuccessfully throughout his four years in office to secure his state.
In August, The ICIR reported how President Tinubu appointed him a Minister of State for Defence despite failure to protect his people.
Zamfara has faced attacks from terrorists, lost hundreds of residents to insecurity, and had thousands of others displaced.
In October 2022, this organisation reported how 30 schools remained shut after one year because of insecurity.
Marcus bears the light, and he beams it everywhere. He's a good governance and decent society advocate. He's The ICIR Reporter of the Year 2022 and has been the organisation's News Editor since September 2023. Contact him via email @ [email protected]