A MEMBER of the Zamfara State House of Assembly, Aminu Ibrahim, representing Kaura Namoda State Constituency, has been arrested over alleged banditry and kidnapping in the state.
The state Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Shehu Dalijan, who confirmed the arrest to Daily Trust also noted that the district head of Kaura Namoda, Alhaji Jafaru Abdullahi Kumburki and a former chairman of the LGA, Nasiru Muhammad, are currently being grilled by the police over similar allegations.
He stated that the police’s preliminary investigation revealed that the district head of Kaura Namoda allegedly conspired with two suspected bandit collaborators, Alhaji Bala and Hali Sidi, to kidnap nine people in Gidan Sambo village in the LGA.
According to the commissioner, the suspects allegedly collected N800,000 ransom before releasing their captives.
Dalijan further noted that the two suspected bandit collaborators conspired with the former chairman of Kaura Namoda LGA, who is also in custody, to kidnap one Alhaji Ango from Kumurya village.
The CP said the lawmaker was arrested for his alleged involvement in the abduction of 80-year-old Ibrahim Sarkin Fada of Kasuwar Daji village.
In a similar development, the police boss said three district heads of Danjibga, Bukkuyum and Unguwar Gyauro in Tsafe and Bukkuyum LGAs, whose names had yet to be made public, were being investigated over the same issues.
The police commissioner said: “The district heads of Danjibga, Unguwar Gyauro and Bukkuyum will face an investigative panel set up by the state government over their involvement in banditry activities.
“Prior to the formation of the panel, the police had conducted an investigation on the matter and submitted their report to the state governor (Dauda Lawal) for further action.
“Police authorities will continue to identify, arrest and subsequently prosecute anybody found participating in banditry and other related crimes.
“Investigation is still ongoing and I can assure you that whoever is found directly or indirectly involved in this case will be invited for questioning,” he said.
Meanwhile, this was not the first time, emirs and district heads would be indicted with allegations bordering on insecurity attacks and kidnapping.
In October 2019, the committee on armed banditry set up by the Zamfara State government submitted its report, with a recommendation for the removal of five emirs and 33 district heads in the state.
The committee chairman and former Inspector General of Police, Muhammad Abubakar, recommended the deposition of the emirs and district heads (whose names were not made public) following their involvement in the series of atrocities committed by armed bandits and cattle rustlers in the state.
Insecurity in Zamfara
The ICIR reports that Zamfara State has faced security challenges over the years, ranging from insurgent attacks to banditry. Many communities across about 14 LGAs have been displaced, with residents of Maru, Anka, Shinkafi, Maradun, Zurmi, Gusau, and Bungudu LGAs being the worst affected.
Kidnapping in the country has become an industry where abductors demand money from families and communities before releasing abductees. This is prominent in Zamfara, which has recorded a plethora of cases of school children and other kidnappings.
According to data analysed by The ICIR, 2,336 people were killed in various violent attacks in the first three months of 2024 across Nigeria, with Zamfara state topping the list.
This is an approximate average of 26 persons killed daily between January 2024 and the end of March 2024.
The ICIR gathered the data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), a data bureau that collects real-time data on the locations, dates, actors, fatalities, and types of all reported political violence and protest events worldwide.
The deaths were connected to 1,395 incidents reported to have taken place in the country within the period.
According to the data, the states with the highest killings within the first quarter are Zamfara (439 deaths), Borno (437 deaths), Kastina (362 deaths) and Benue (221 deaths).
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M