The Zamfara State house of assembly has suspended two lawmakers over alleged ties with bandits.
The lawmakers, Yusuf Muhammad Anka, representing Anka constituency, and Ibrahim T. Tukur Bakura, representing Bakura constituency, were suspended for three months.
According to Mustapha Jafaru Kaura, director general, press Affairs and public relations of the assembly, the lawmakers will stay away from the assembly pending the conclusion of investigations on the allegation leveled against them.
“They are also 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 part of the resolutions reached just now at the House plenary presided over the speaker of the House Rt Hon Nasiru Mu’azu Magarya under matters of urgent public importance,” Kaura said.
Leading the debate on the matter shortly after every member had swore an oath, member representing Maru North, Yusuf Alhassan Kanoma, drew the attention of his colleagues to the “burning issue” in the house.
He said the house should not fold its arms over the serious allegations leveled against the two members.
Kanoma further alleged that during the kidnap saga of the late father of the assembly speaker, Mu’azu Abubakar Magarya, Anka and Bakura were said to have jubilated over the issue.
He also alleged that the two lawmakers were behind the killing of late Muhammad G. Ahmad ( Walin Jangeru), a former member who represented Shinkafi constituency in the state house of assembly.
He further claimed they leaked information through which bandits tracked the deceased.
The member representing Maru north asked security agencies to track their telephone lines and listen to all their conversations.
Also contributing, member representing Birnin Magaji constituency, Nura Dahiru Sabon birnin Dan Ali, agreed with Kanoma, saying efforts to negotiate with notorious bandit, Bello Turji, on so many occasions to secure the release of the late father of the speaker did not yield any fruit.
In his ruling on the matter, the speaker, Nasiru Mu’azu Magarya, approved the outright suspension of the two members.
Magarya also directed chairman of the house committee on ethics and privileges, Kabiru Hashimu Dansadau, to fully investigate the two colleagues and report its findings back to the plenary.
While expressing his dismay over their alleged involvement in banditry activities, the speaker also stripped them of the chairmanship of the house standing committees.
