PDP accuses Zamfara govt of attacking opponents

At a press conference in Gusau, running mate to the state PDP gubernatorial candidate, who is also the campaign director, Alhaji Malami Aliyu Yandoto, accused the agency of taking part in the vandalisation of their property.
“The state government recently instituted what it calls ZAROTA with a similar responsibility as KAROTA in Kano, but with the sinister motive of harassing and intimidating political opponents. The reason why we are telling you this is that they recruited 3,000 personnel and as elections draw nearer, they are planning to increase the number to 10,000. And these so-called ZAROTA staff have not been paid their salaries since they were recruited,” he said.
He added: “When their APC presidential flag bearer arrived here from Katsina on Wednesday, right from the border towns, all our bill boards, posters and campaign offices  were vandalised after subjecting our supporters to a lot of humiliation. They attacked our supporters and injured several of them. About 20 vehicles were smashed.”
Reacting, the state Commissioner of Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Muhammad Birnin Magaji, dismissed the allegations, saying: “They sponsored their thugs themselves to commit the crime just to paint us black and we have evidence that shows that some of them even wore KAROTA uniform.”