Inflammatory utterances: Yari quizzed at Force Hqtrs Abuja

• Why I honoured invitation – Ex-gov

A former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, has been quizzed by the police higher authorities in Abuja over his utterances during a gathering in Talata Mafara Local Government Area of the state.

Multiple sources told our correspondent that the former governor was grilled for six hours by top police officers on Tuesday.

One of the sources told Daily Trust that Yari was first at Louis Edet House, Abuja, before going to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Area 10 where he reportedly spent six hours.

“The issue has to do with his remarks on Saturday in his hometown in Talata Mafara Local Government Area of the state. At a political gathering with his supporters, he made utterances considered to be inflammatory and inciting. He was in Zamfara State on Friday and left on Sunday,” he said.

The source further said that when the former governor returned to Abuja, he was invited by the police authorities.

Speaking anonymously, a security source also confirmed that the former governor was quizzed by top police operatives in Abuja over his utterances.

“Yes he was grilled yesterday (Tuesday) for about six hours. He went to the force headquarters based on an invitation by the police. He honoured the invitation. The invitation was based on an issue that has to do with his utterances in Talata Mafara,” he said.

He also disclosed that at the FCID, Yari was made to write a statement and an undertaking to commit himself to peace in the state.

It could be recalled that Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state had in November accused Yari of instigating violence and security breach in the state. Matawalle alleged that anytime Yari visits the state, security breach followed, which he emphasised was too much for coincidence.

Contacted, the force spokesman DCP Frank Mba said Yari was not arrested. He explained that Yari was at the police headquarters on Tuesday for a private discussion with the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu.

“He had a private chat with the IGP at Force Headquarters yesterday (Tuesday) and thereafter, he left the force headquarters, he was never arrested,” he said.

But, Yari, in a statement by his media aide, Mayowa Oluwabiyi said “The authorities of the police sent an invitation to the former governor of Zamfara state, and as a law abiding citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he swiftly went to honour the invitation by the police.

“His Excellency Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari as a law abiding citizen and a former governor has never and will never breach the law of the land.”

Also speaking, the zonal vice chairman of APC in Zamfara state, Alhaji Sani Gwamna Mayanchi said they had no problem with the police invitation.

“He is a law abiding citizen of Nigeria and he is not above the laws of the country. So what is the noise about him being invited by the police on matters of interest,” Mayanchi said.

He, however dismissed the allegations that the former governor had made some inciting comments while addressing his supporters in the state adding that the allegations were ill motivated, vicious and totally baseless.