Zamfara House of Assembly on Monday suspended two of its members for their alleged involvement in aiding and abetting banditry in the state.
The two lawmakers are alleged to have aided the kidnap of the Speaker’s father, and the murder of another colleague of theirs.
The suspended members, according to a Press release signed by the Director-General Press Affairs of the House, Mustafa Kaura, are Yusuf Muhammad Anka representing Anka constituency; and Ibrahim T. Tukur Bakura representing Bakura constituency.
The statement said, “They have been suspended from the state House of Assembly for three months pending the conclusion of investigations on the allegation leveled against them.
“They are 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 parts of the resolutions reached on Monday night at the House plenary presided over by the Speaker, Hon Nasiru Mu’azu Magarya under matters of urgent public importance.”
During the debate, a member representing Maru North constituency, Hon Yusuf Alhassan Kanoma, told his colleagues that there was a burning issue in the House, of serious allegations leveled against the two members.
Kanoma, therefore, said that “the House should not fold its arms and allow this gross official misconduct by the two members.”
Hon Kanoma further alleged that during the kidnap saga of the father of the Speaker, late Mu’azu Abubakar Magarya, Yusuf Muhammad Anka and Ibrahim T. Tukur Bakura were said to have been jubilating over the issue .
He also alleged that the two members were the brains behind the killing of late Hon Muhammad G. Ahmed, a former member representing Shinkafi constituency in the state House of Assembly through connivance with the bandits by telephone conversation that led to his killing.
While calling on the security agencies to fully track all their telephone lines and listen to all their conversations, Hon Kanoma also called on his colleagues to, as a matter of urgency, suspend the two lawmakers from all House activities for an initial period of three months pending the conclusion of investigations.
Also contributing, a member representing Birnin Magaji constituency, Hon Nura Dahiru Sabon Birnin Dan Ali strongly backed Hon Kanoma on the issue, saying that his efforts of mediating and negotiating with notorious bandit Bello Turji on so many occasions to secure the release of late Mu’azu Magarya should not go in vain, pointing out that detractors of peace in the state should face the full wrath of the law.
In his ruling on the matter, Speaker Nasiru Mu’azu Magarya approved the request of the House by outright suspension of the two members for the initial period of three months .
Speaker Magarya also directed chairman House Committee on Ethics and Privileges, Hon Kabiru Hashimu Dansadau, to fully investigate these members and report its findings to the plenary in the next three months.
While expressing dismay over their alleged involvement in banditry activities, the Speaker also stripped them of their chairmanship of the House standing committees by assigning Hon Yusuf Alhassan Kanoma to oversee works and transport committee chaired by Yusuf Muhammad Anka.
He also directed Hon Nasiru Atiku Gora to take charge of the humanitarian and social development committee formally headed by Ibrahim T. Tukur Bakura.
▪︎ By The Punch