An indigene of Sabon Gida village, Abubakar Sanin said the bandits, who were in large numbers, stormed the students’ off-campus residences in the village. He said the students abducted were mostly females.

Sani said the bandits invaded the area around 4:00am on Friday, where they attacked three students’ hostels.

He said, “Many of the kidnapped students were females, while other students were able to escape to the bush”.

According to Sani, the bandits only abducted the university students but did not abduct any residents of the village.

He said, “When they arrived the village, they went straight to the students [off campuses] and started shooting sporadically”.

“They later broke into the campuses and brought a number of students who are mostly females”.

The university authority and the state police command both declined to comment.

This was contained in a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Kabiru Balarabe, and made available to newsmen on Sunday night.

The statement reads, “This is to inform the general public that the Zamfara State Government has dissociated itself from the alleged turbaning of a Sarkin Fulani by the Emir of Birnin ‘Yandoto of Tsafe Local Government Area”.

“In this regard, the State Executive Governor, Hon. Bello Mohammed Matawalle, MON (Shattiman Sokoto) has directed for suspension of the Emir with immediate effect.

Accordingly, the Executive Governor has approved the appointment of a Committee to investigate the circumstances leading to the action of the Emir.

“In the meantime, Alh. Mahe Garba Marafa, who is the District Head of ‘Yandoto is hereby assigned to take charge of the affairs of the Emirate.

The Emir conferred the traditional title of Sarkin Fulani on Aliero in a colourful ceremony that took place last Saturday.

Speaking with Journalists in his residence in Talata-Mafara on Monday, Yari said he did not reconcile with Matawalle because of any political position.

He said, “I didn’t reconcile with Governor Matawalle simply because I want to attain a certain political position. But having thought of the implications of our sour relationship with the people of the state, I realise that, reconciliation is the best option.

“It is often said that when two elephants fight, it is the grass that will suffer, as such, we have decided to close our ranks and come together to move our state forward.”

He, therefore, called on his supporters to embrace the reconciliation process and work together with Matawalle’s loyalists in order to move the state forward.

Yari stressed that he would soon organise a town hall meeting with his supporters in order to enlighten them on the importance of the reconciliation.

Meanwhile, thousands of APC stakeholders have been trouping to the former governor’s residence to express their support for the reconciliation process.

Among those who visited Yari were the state and the federal lawmakers, the Secretary to the State Government, Head of Service and Commissioners.

Others were the Permanent Secretaries, Directors General and Heads of parastatals.

A resident of the area, Malam Mohammed said the terrorists who came in large numbers, invaded the residence of the security commissioner at about 8pm on Sunday.

According to Mohammed, the commissioner had invited some people to his home for Ramadan breakfast when the terrorists invaded the place and shot sporadically.

He said, “There were many people in the house who were invited by the commissioner to break the [Ramadan] fast when the bandits attacked the place and opened fire. They killed four people including the commissioner’s son and took away an unspecified number of people.”

The Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, CP Ayuba N. Elkana, visited the commissioner’s house on Monday to commiserate with him on the incident.

Efforts to get Tsafe failed as calls from our correspondent to his number were not answered.

An aide to the former Deputy Governor, who confirmed the report, told Channels Television that Wakkala who was returning from the APC National Convention, was shot during the gun duel between the terrorists and the military.

He added that Wakkala has been moved to a military hospital in Kaduna for treatment.

Also confirming the development, spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State, Yusuf Idris, said the ex-Deputy Governor was initially abducted by the terrorists during the attack and was successfully rescued by the combined forces of DSS and Military.

“He was initially abducted but was rescued by the DSS and military, it was during the process he sustain gunshot injury in the leg. He is very okay now, he is receiving treatment at the hospital in Kaduna state.” Idris added.

Until his appointment, Hassan was a Senator representing Zamfara Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly.

The appointment followed the impeachment of the ex-deputy governor by the state Assembly at its resumed plenary on Wednesday.

In a statement, the spokesperson for the Assembly, Mustafa Kaura, said the former deputy governor was found guilty of all the allegations levelled against him.

Kaura said, “The House found him guilty of the offences levelled against him which were submitted earlier today in the House and subsequently read at the floor of the chamber by the Speaker of the House, Rt Hon Nasiru Mu’azu Magarya.Magarya told the plenary that the committee set up to investigate the former Deputy Governor found him guilty of all the charges levelled against him and directed his colleagues to proceed with individual voting of affirmation for the Deputy Governor to be impeached as required by the law.”

Kaura further stated, “20 out of 22 members voted in favour of the impeachment while the only PDP member of the House, Hon. Salihu Usman Zurmi, was conspicuously absent during today’s plenary. Having secured the required number of the votes as directed by the constitution, Speaker Magarya announced the impeachment of Barr Mahdi Aliyu Muhammad Gusau as the substantive Deputy Governor of the state.”

The state’s Commissioner for information, Ibrahim Magaji Dosara said Governor Matawalle’s directive for telecommunications services to be restored is on course.

Dosara who asked residents of the state to exercise more patience, stated that the request for the restoration which will be addressed to the Minister of Communications and NCC, must be backed up with security reports and other bureaucratic procedures.

The statement read “This is to notify the general public that following the directives by His Excellency the Gov, Hon Bello Muhammed Matawallen Maradun to restore all networks of telecommunications services, the directive is on course. The attention of the general public is therefore hereby drawn to the processes involved in the restoration of the telecommunications networks. These include the legal procedure of drafting and signing of the executive order permitting the restoration, the survey of the current security situation in each of the 14 local government areas to ascertain the type of arrangements to be put in place after the restoration of the telecommunications networks. The request for the restoration from the Minister of Communications and NCC must be backed up with the security reports and other bureaucratic procedures involved.”

Several others including women and children were abducted in the attack which occurred around 1.30pm on Sunday, November 7.

A resident of the village, Musa Sani, who fled to Gusau town told Punch that the bandits stormed the village on motorcycles and began to shoot at people.

According to Sani, he was in the other part of the village when he heard gunshots and screaming of the villagers who were shouting for help. This made him run to the bush for safety.

“I was in the other part of the village when I heard gunshots and the screaming of the villagers. I quickly ran to a nearby farm where I hid until the bandits left the village,” he explained.

“When they left the village, we discovered that they had shot and killed six people and wounded several others. They also abducted many women and children whose number is yet to be known.”

“I decided to leave the village and come to Gusau for fear that the bandits might return because this is not the first time these criminals are attacking us.” he added

Briefing newsmen on Sunday, the Zamfara State Police Commissioner, Husaini Rabiu said the two students were rescued in a bush in Babbar Doka Village of Maru Local Government Area of the state.

Rabiu said, “On 31st July 2021, Police Tactical Operatives attached to Operation Restore Peace deployed to Dansadau Area of Maru LGA for Anti-Banditry and Kidnapping Operations rescued one Maryam Abdulkarim, a 15-year-old girl from Wushishi LGA of Niger State and Faruk Buhari, a 17-year-old boy from Wara in Kebbi State at a nearby bush in Babbar Doka Village of Dansadau Emirate. Investigation revealed that the rescued victims were among the abducted students of Federal Government College Yauri, Kebbi State.”

The Commissioner said the victims were taken to the hospital for medical checks, adding that they have been debriefed at the Police Command Headquarters, Gusau.

He maintained that the students would be handed over to the Kebbi State Government through the Kebbi State Police Command.

Recall that the lawmakers had asked Aliyu to appear before it and defend himself against the allegation of misconduct, stemming from a political rally he held on July 10 after killings by bandits in Maradun LGA of the state

Aliyu stated that the action of the lawmakers is tantamount to a flagrant breach of law, and added that the pending court action touches among others on any process, in any form or manner relating to an instant invitation extended to him.

The letter addressed to members of the house of assembly and dated July 29, read “The pending court action touches among others on any process, in any form or manner relating to an instant invitation extended to me. In this pending case, the office of the Speaker of this honourable house is a party. Further, there is an order for maintenance of the status quo made by the court on 19th July. While I am willing to and ready to honour the invitation, sadly, I am constrained by pending suit, and its attendant order”

After acknowledging receipt of the letter on Thursday, the House directed its legal department to analyse it and the court papers.

While the House was deliberating on the letter, Yusuf Kanoma, representing Maru North constituency, faulted the letter and the court order, saying at no time did the House discuss a move to impeach the deputy governor.

However, briefing newsmen at his office on Thursday, the Deputy Governor said “As you are aware, my party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has instituted an action at the Federal High Court, Abuja, challenging the vires of Zamfara State House of Assembly as presently constituted to commence impeachment or any other proceeding against me as elected on PDP platform. The Federal High Court has granted an order directing the maintenance of the status quo ante bellum on the 19th day of July 2021. The order was served on the Chief Judge of Zamfara State, Zamfara State House of Assembly and Governor of Zamfara State. Despite the foregoing state of affairs, the speaker of the Zamfara State House of Assembly and the House of Assembly has now embarked on steps and actions to overreach the pending suit, disobey the court order and render the effect of the suit nugatory. I’m constrained to draw the attention of the public to this ugly situation in the hope that well-meaning citizens and people of goodwill will call the Zamfara State House of Assembly to order and impress upon them the need to obey the subsisting court order”