Zamfara APC blasts police and DSS for allegedly raiding ex-governor’s residences. Zamfara State Governor Bello Muhammad Matawalle and the Zamfara Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) chastised the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Department for State Services (DSS) on Friday for the purported invasion of the homes of the state’s immediate past governor, Alhaji Bello Matawalle, in Gusau and Maradun.
The party’s State Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Yusuf Idris, delivered the censure in a statement made in Gusau. “The unlawful invasion is a flagrant violation of the sacred provisions of Sections 34, 35, 37, 41, 42, and 43 of the 1999 Federal Republic of Nigeria Constitution, as amended.”
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It is unclear what exactly justified the invasion.” The invasion is still a mystery to the inhabitants of Zamfara. “If the government believes it has a case against the former governor, why not charge him in court rather than resorting to such barbaric and uncivilized means?” Idris said in a statement.
The APC urged the NPF and DSS leadership to “warn their personnel against such misadventure and punish those who participated in the alleged invasion.” “We request that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) order an immediate investigation and prosecution of all those who committed the illegal act of breaking into the two residences of Zamfara State APC leader and former Governor Bello Matawalle.”
We also urge the IGP to issue an arrest warrant for the arrest of those personnel stationed at the previous governor’s two homes. “The former governor has stated numerous times that he has nothing to hide anywhere, but legal means must be used before any action against him or his property is taken.”
We urge the police and all sister security agencies and their personnel to tread political grounds with caution, as we cannot condone such action, especially in our dear state, which has deteriorating security challenges,” the statement stated.
Meanwhile, the Zamfara administration responded quickly to the police raid by ordering the operatives to recover vehicles allegedly “looted” by the former Governor. Suleman Idris, the government’s spokesperson, had already stated that the police raid was illegal.
Police operatives stormed the former governor’s residences, seizing over 40 vehicles.” “The police acted in accordance with a court order and a search warrant obtained for the operation,” Suleiman explained. According to him, the Zamfara government had previously requested that Matawalle and his deputy restore all missing vehicles within five working days.
We also filed an official police complaint about the wasteful looting of valuables, including official vehicles. “As a result, the police obtained a search warrant, which was granted by the court, and raided Matawalle’s residences in Gusau, Maradun, and another unidentified hideout.
Over 40 vehicles were recovered, including three bulletproof vehicles and eight passenger vehicles, as well as three bulletproof vehicles and eight Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs). “We want to reaffirm our determination to recover everything that belongs to the people.”
Our shared resolve is to rescue and rebuild Zamfara, and recovering criminal proceeds and public assets is a critical component of our rescue mission.” “We want to urge the people of Zamfara to remain calm as we continue to record massive improvements in security and the state’s lingering water scarcity,” Suleiman stated.
The APC and the PDP spar as police retrieve 40 vehicles from the ex-Zamfara governor’s houses. Police and DSS officers surrounded the former governor’s mansions in Gusau and Maradun.
According to a source, police encircled two properties in Gusau, the state capital, and Mr Matawalle’s hometown, Maradun, early Friday morning.
According to Sulaiman Bala – Idris, the Zamfara governor’s spokesperson, the state Government notified Mr Matawalle to return all state government cars in his possession within five days, but he refused.
He stated that state police operated on a court order and a search warrant secured for the operation. “Recall that the Zamfara State Government officially communicated to former Governor Bello Matawalle and his Deputy that all missing vehicles must be returned within five working days.” We also filed a complaint with the police about the overriding public interest in wasteful looting of assets, including official cars.
As a result, the police requested a search warrant, which was granted by the court, and raided Matawalle’s residences in Gusau and Maradun, as well as another unidentified hideout. We recovered over 40 vehicles, including three bulletproof vehicles and eight SUVs, he stated.
The All Progressives Congress (APC), through its spokesperson Yusuf Idris – Gusau, had previously condemned the invasion of Mr Matawalle’s residences. The invasion, it stated, was illegal and a barbarous and cruel trespass by Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal.
What exactly prompted the invasion remains a mystery to the good people of Zamfara state. If the government believes it has a case against the former Governor, why simply charge him in court rather than using such brutal and uncivilized methods?
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To say the least, the action, which is said to have been directed by the Governor of Zamfara, Dauda Lawal, is archaic, barbaric, brutal, unacceptable, and an illegal trespass on the former governor’s property in Gusau and his home town Maradun,” Mr Idris – Gusau said.
The spokeswoman for the police department in the Yazid Abubakar, the state’s governor, did not react to SMS and phone calls about the situation for several hours. Messrs Lawal and Matawalle are bitter political adversaries, which was exacerbated when Mr Lawal defeated Mr. Matawalle, who was running for a second term.
