Zamfara Moves Against Lawmakers ‘For Working With Bandits’

The Zamfara State House of Assembly has suspended two lawmakers; Yusuf Muhammad Anka representing Anka Constituency, and Ibrahim T. Tukur Bakura, representing Bakura constituency, over their alleged ties to bandits.

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 into allegations 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,” he said.

Leading the debate on the matter shortly after each and every member swore an oath, the member representing Maru North, Hon Yusuf Alhassan Kanoma, said the house should not fold its arms over the serious allegations leveled against the two members.

He alleged that during the kidnap saga of the father of the Speaker, Yusuf Muhammad Anka and Ibrahim T. Tukur Bakura were said to have been jubilating over the issue.

Kanoma 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, and 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 leader, Bello Turji, on so many occasions to secure the release of Speaker’s late 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.

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

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