Abdullahi Bala, the Executive Secretary of the Zamfara Urban and Regional Planning (ZUREP), his Director Aliyu Buba Maigoro, and three others have been arraigned before the Magistrate Court II Gusau, presided over by Senior Magistrate Aminu Sani, on three counts of trespass, theft, and criminal intimidation.
Presenting the case before the court yesterday, Counsel to the plaintiff, Barrister Surajo Garba Gusau, said the accused had burgled the shop of his client, Yusha’u YS Maishadda, in collaboration with the personnel of the NSCDC and carted away with N10 million cash and bundles of brocades and wrappers worth N17 million.
Barrister Surajo Gusau further told the court that the accused persons had illegally acted to serve the selfish interest of a neighbour to his client who wanted to plant a staircase in front of a plaintiff’s shop so that he could reach his shop upstairs.
Speaking, the first accused person, Abdullahi Bala, told the court that ZUREP had acted based on the law, which empowers it to what they have been accused of by the plaintiff, adding that all the properties carted away are in the safe custody of the ZUREP with the representatives from DSS and Police for the formidable record.
“The case was earlier reported to the Central Police Station where the DPO asked both the contending parties of the controversial shop to maintain the status quo to allow ZUREP to find the lasting solution amicably”, the Executive Secretary has narrated.
The ruling: Senior Magistrate Aminu Sani has adjourned the case to November 6th, before which he will physically visit the shop to self-assess the alleged burglary and the level of the State Government road works that run to the said shop’s location.
