Zamfara assembly suspends lawmakers ‘for working with bandits’

The Zamfara state House of Assembly has suspended two lawmakers over their alleged ties to bandits.

The lawmakers – Yusuf Muhammad, Anka representing Anka Constituency, and Ibrahim T. Tukur Bakura, representing Bakura constituency –  were suspended for three months.

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According to the Director General Press Affairs and Public Relations of the Assembly, Mustapha Jafaru Kaura, the lawmakers will stay off the assembly pending the conclusion of investigations on the allegation leveled against them.

“They are also to appear before the House Committee on ethics and privileges in conjunction with security agencies that are assigned by law to investigate them.”

“These are part of the resolutions reached just now at the House plenary presided over the speaker of the House Rt Hon Nasiru Mu’azu Magarya under matters of urgent public importance,” Kaura said.

Leading the debate on the matter shortly after each and every member swore an oath, member representing Maru North, Hon Yusuf Alhassan Kanoma, drew the attention of his colleagues to the “burning issue” in the House.

He said the house should not fold its arms over the serious allegations leveled against the two members.

Kanoma further alleged that during the kidnap saga of the father of speaker late Alhaji Mu’azu Abubakar Magarya in particular Yusuf Muhammad Anka and Ibrahim T Tukur Bakura were said to have been jubilating over the issue.

More allegations against suspended lawmakers

He also alleged that the two lawmakers were behind the killing of late Hon Muhammad G. Ahmad ( Walin Jangeru), a former member who represented Shinkafi constituency in the state House of Assembly.

He claimed they leaked information through which bandits tracked the deceased.

He asked security agencies to fully track all their telephone lines and listen to all their conversations.

Also contributing, member representing Birnin Magaji constituency, Hon Nura Dahiru Sabon birnin Dan Ali, concurred with his colleague, saying efforts to negotiate with notorious bandit, Bello Turji, on so many occasions to secure the release of late speaker’s father, should not go in vain.

In his ruling on the matter, the speaker, Rt Hon Nasiru Mu’azu Magarya, approved the outright suspension of the two members.

Speaker Magarya also directed chairman House Committee on ethics and privileges, Hon Kabiru Hashimu Dansadau, to fully investigate these members and report its findings back to the plenary.

While expressing his dismay over their alleged involvement in banditry activities, the state chief lawmaker also stripped them of the chairmanship of the House standing committees.

The suspended lawmakers could not be reached for comment at the time of filing this report.