Zamfara Elders Berate Gov Lawal Over Alleged Witch-hunt Of Assembly Members

The Zamfara Elders Forum has accused State governor, Dauda Lawal, of orchestrating a politically motivated campaign against nine elected members of the State House of Assembly, alleging that he was using the judiciary to suppress their legislative duties.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the forum’s spokesperson, Dr Abdulmumin Kamil Gusau, described the state government’s actions as “disturbing and embarrassing.”

The group claimed that Chief Magistrate Halima Jaafar Mikaila issued an arrest order for the lawmakers without prior summons or formal charges, a move they argued undermines the rule of law.

“We are deeply troubled by how the state government is manipulating judicial mechanisms to target constitutionally elected members of the State House of Assembly,” Guasa said.

“These lawmakers are being persecuted for fulfilling their legislative responsibilities and highlighting shortcomings in the executive’s performance in the public interest.”

The forum noted that the affected lawmakers, drawn from both the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), have already filed a case at the Court of Appeal in Sokoto State.

They have also petitioned key authorities, including the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), the National Security Adviser, and the National Assembly, seeking intervention.

Despite the pending legal and formal complaints, the forum alleged that the magistrate court proceeded with the arrest order, which they deemed unlawful.

The group called on Governor Lawal to cease what it described as harassment and engage in dialogue with the lawmakers to resolve the ongoing crisis amicably.

“The APC will remain steadfast in upholding the law and will not tolerate the politicisation of judicial officers to serve narrow interests,” Gusua stated.

“We stand firmly against any attempts to intimidate lawmakers for raising concerns about the worsening security situation in their constituencies, which the state government has failed to address.”