Shekarau, Barau, others petition IGP

Alleged Ganduje’s, APC factional chair’s involvement in campaign office attack

Ibrahim Shekarau

The brewing crisis bedeviling the ranks of the party escalated on Thursday when alleged political thugs invaded the Maiduguri road gubernatorial campaign office of Senator Barau, carting away valuables before setting the one-storey building ablaze.

Police had since declared 13 suspected thugs involved in the attack arrested with several dangerous weapons already in their custody.

The petition jointly signed by Senator Shekarau (Kano Central), Senator Barau (Kano South), and four members of the House of Representatives from Kano, including Nasiru Abdua, Tijjani Abdulkadir Jobe, Shaaban Sharada and Haruna Isa Dederi, was made available to journalists on Friday.

In the petition, the federal lawmakers, did not only alleged the involvement of Kano State government and Prince Abdullahi Abbas in the attack, they insisted the action of the hoodlums was triggered by the November 30 judgement of the FCT High Court which sacked the executives of the faction of the APC anointed by Governor Ganduje.

The lawmakers had accused Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, chairman of the APC faction loyal to the State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Murtala Sule Garo; Faizu Alfindiki, Chairman, Kano Municipal Council; Khalid Ishaq Diso, Chairman Gwale Council; Hassan Garban Kauye, Chairman Kumbotso Council; Auwal Lawan Shuaibu, Chairman Nassarawa Council and one Gwarmai as potential instigators of the attack on the campaign office.

“You will recall that on November 30, an FCT High Court had delivered judgement in a suit concerning the Kano APC congresses and the said judgement did not go down with those who lost in the case.

“Regrettably, however, instead of fighting their cause through due legal process, these frustrated elements resorted to carrying out the criminal acts mentioned above. We have been reliably informed, which information we verily believe to be true and correct, that through the night of December 1 to the early morning of December 2, 2021, Abdullahi Abbas, former chairman of APC and five others together with some other well armed thugs organised and set ablaze the campaign office of Senator Barau and attempted to kill those they met at the scene.

“They also tried to burn our party office located along Zaria Road and kill or inflict bodily harm to its occupants. They also passed by our respective residences with armed thugs chanting war songs in attempt to unleash violence on law abiding citizens,” the petition reads.

While urging the Inspector General of Police to probe the matter, the lawmakers said, “should anything happen to us and our supporters, the aforementioned people should be held responsible.

“In the circumstances, therefore, we hereby write to request you, sir to use your good offices to thoroughly investigate this matter with a view to bringing everyone involved to book and forestall any further breakdown of law and order as well as prevent reprisal attacks.

“Their hope is to see reprisal attacks from our side so as to turn Kano into a killing field. In spite of the threats and provocations, however, as responsible leaders, we shall continue to be law abiding, hoping that you will address our complaint as appropriate,” they appealed to the IGP.