The Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Alhaji Sani Shinkafi has written to the Embassies Of the United States Of America (USA) the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union asking them to revoke the visa of the former Governor of Zamfara State Over his alleged sponsorship of militia groups that has been terrorizing the state in the last eight years.
In the letter which was also copied to the Embassies of Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates Shinkafi stated that Yari has been stoking the embers of violence and inciting his supporters to violence all aimed at destabilizing the new administration in the state.
According to him”I am writing to demand for the prudential revocation visa of the Former Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari for stoking the embers of violence and sponsoring kidnapping and other acts of terrorism against the citizens of Zamfara State. The former Governor since his ouster as the Governor of Zamafar State has been heard making some unguarded and provocative statements inciting members of his faction of the All Progressives Congress(APC) to move against the State Government and make the State insure and unsafe for citizens of the State.
“It is on record that about 8500 Private militia popularly called Yansakai were recruited illegally by the past administration of Abdulaziz Yari in all the seventeen (17) Councils through the former commissioner for Local and Chieftaincy affairs Hon Bello Dankande Gamji without the Bill being passed by State House Assembly establishing the vigilante service group and assent by the Governor as a law governing recruitment and operations of Yansakai. It is still fresh in our memory and reported to security agencies the arrest, abduction, torture and killing of innocent citizens in the markets, streets, and with bodies lying on the streets and nobody could stop them from the jungle justice that went on in the whole of Zamfara State during the Yari led administration” he added.
Shinkafi who is also the Secretary of the Board Of Trustees Of APGA noted that “Abdulaziz Yari has been seen publicly inciting his factional APC members not to recognize the administration of His Excellency Bello Muhammad Matawalle as the Executive Governor of Zamfara State but insisted that they called him a sole administrator. Severally, he has rejected the 24th May 2019 Judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria painting the eminent jurists of the Apex court with all kinds of names.
“There are weighty allegations that the former Governor is planning with these unrepentant armed bandits to disrupt the peace accord in the state. The volunteer vigilante groups Yansakai loyal to Yari have refused to embrace the disarmaments and arms control programme of the State government to augment the accord initiated by Governor Matawalle.
He pointed out that “there are intelligence reports that Yansakai recruited in Gummi had concluded plans to attack some fulani settlements to ignite another security breach in the State and set the State on fire again.
It is on record that the Zamfara State Police Command had on September 24th,2019 following intelligence reports that Boko Haram was planning to attack and bomb some places in the State like the Central Mosque Gusau, Maradum, Anka, Talata Marafa, Kauran Namoda and Tsafe and the planned assasination of the Deputy Governor and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly banned all forms of political rallies, meetings and processions in the state.
“However, in flagrant disregard to the subsisting order banning all forms of Inspite of the ban by the Zamfara State Police Command of political rallies, meetings and processions former Governor Abdulaziz Yari was recently heard recently inciting his supporters to revolt against the state government with the sole aim of making the state ungovernable for the Matawalle led government. The rule of law is incorporated in the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended and its supremacy ensures that no person can claim to be above the law, he must obey it whether if he is rich, poor, the ruler or the ruled” he added.
Shinkafi said that the former Governor was heard asking his supporters to resist the Zamfara State Urban and Regional planning Board (ZUREPB) the Enforcement of Town planning law cap 130 and Zamfara State Edict No 2 of 1996. For building Approval permission by the agency of government with the last drop of their blood adding”if any attempt is made to demolish any house in Zamfara State all of us here, APC will resist the demolition of houses in Zamfara State until all of us are killed. That he will lead the protest .He boasted that they APC is controlling the federal government, the security agencies and National Assembly he know how to deal with the Governor. We will help him to destroy the State”
He stated that “former Governor Abdulazeez Yari should be investigated and possibly prosecuted for crime against humanity for the past eight years. It is still fresh in our memory that the former Governor Abdul’aziz Yari imported 1500 double barred guns in order to arm vigilante groups in the State.
“Sources have revealed that the Federal Government ordered the seizure of the guns based on the alleged contradiction of Fire Arms Laws of Nigeria. Guns procurement is not one of the lawful duties of any State Government; also such action is unconstitutional and unlawful.
“I hereby request Your Excellency to as a matter of urgent National importance revoke the Visa issued to Abdulaziz Yari to avoid a situation whereby he would flee the country and run away from prosecution and possible imprisonment for crimes against humanity.
Available records show during the reign of the former Governor of Zamfara State, the state had undergone the worst nightmares. All the fourteen (14) Local Government Areas of Zamfara State were under the siege of armed banditry, kidnapping for ransom, blood spilling, armed robbery, cattle rustling, rapes, destruction of properties worth billions of Naira to ashes, displacement of people from their historical homes, Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) scattered in all the public building, no food, no medical facilities, no beds, no mattress, no mat in all the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps across the State.
This is a monumental tragedy on the people of the state caused by incompetent and insensitive leadership of Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari.
Former Governor Abdulazeez Yari should be investigated and possibly prosecuted for crimes against humanity for the past eight years.
I hereby request your esteemed self to revoke his visa so that he would be available to answer for his crimes against the people of Zamfara State and humanity.
Since his candidate lost out after the Supreme Court judgment he has been disparaging the eminent justices of the apex court and bringing the nation’s judiciary to public odium.
Shinkafi said that “Yari has been interfering in the fight against corruption I have written several petitions against former Governor Abdulaziz Yari over allegations of corruption, award of fictitious contracts, abuse of office, misappropriation of public funds and money laundering worth over 900 billion Naira to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Commission has established evidence of the misappropriation of over 200 billion Naira yet they have refused to arrest and proscute him for the crime he committed against the citizens of Zamfara State.
“Is Abdulaziz Yari above the law of the land? Or is the EFCC doing selective justice where only those in the opposition parties are arrested and prosecuted?” He declared.
