Suspended members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly have alleged threat to their lives for exposing what they described as the high level of insecurity in the state.
The affected eight lawmakers made the allegation at a press conference in Zaria, Kaduna State yesterday, describing the development as illegal and flagrant infringement on their legislative immunity.
It would be recalled that on February 27 this year, the Zamfara State House of Assembly, suspended the eight lawmakers for alleged violation of the Assembly’s Order 10, Rule 9.
However, the leader of the group Hon. Bashir Aliyu, who represents Gummi 1 constituency, yesterday, said the affected members were illegally suspended and harassed for exposing the level insecurity in the state and prolonged absence of the House speaker and his deputy from the state.
Aliyu further alleged that political thugs, suspected to be loyalists of the Speaker Rt. Hon. Bilyamin Moriki, attacked some of the suspended members at the Deputy Governor’s Daughter’s wedding on February 24, 2024.
“On February 23, 2024, Hon. Shamsuddeen Hassan Basko Madara was attacked at his residence by hoodlums who were suspected to be boys of the Hon. Speaker and the Deputy Governor Hon. Bilyamin Ismail and Mani Mallam Mummuni respectively.
“In the same vein, two honourable members (Hon. Bashir and Hon Musama) were equally attacked at the deputy governor’s daughters wedding on the 24th February, 2024. This is unwise and undemocratic,” he said.
He further alleged that a joint team of policemen and civil defense personnel, armed with sophisticated weapons, tracked the suspended members to their various houses with a view to arrest them, a situation which he said has forced the lawnakers to go into hiding.
In what can be described as additional infringement on their legislative immunity, the suspended members were served letters reference No. ZMHA/ADM/223/Vol. 1 dated March 7, 2024 instructing them to return official vehicles given to them to the office of the Clerk of the Assembly within seven days.
“We want to notify that Democracy is in danger in our dear sympathetic state despite insecurity and poverty and other challenges bedeviling the state hence the call for the intervention of key stakeholders to salvage the situation”.
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