How Zamfara Protection Guards attacked me over political differences with local government chairman

Hassan Bungudu, a resident of Zamfara State, has accused the chairman of Bungudu Local Government, Nura Umar, of masterminding a violent attack on him over political differences.

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Mr Bungudu, a trader and youth leader in the area, said he was assaulted on Saturday by officials of the Zamfara State Community Protection Guards (CPG).

The Zamfara State Community Protection Guards was formed by Governor Dauda Lawal in 2024 to work with conventional security agencies in fighting terrorism and other forms of criminalities in the northwestern state.

“I was in my business place when they (CPG officials) came and invited me to their office. But instead of taking me to the office, they took me outside the town on the road to Hada and started beating me. One of them hit me with the butt of his gun. They said I’m using social media to insult the chairman,” he said.

**Hassan Bungudu, a resident of Zamfara State**

Mr Bungudu said he was later taken to the residence of the chairman and savagely beaten.

He said he reported the case at the police station in Bungudu town, where the said CPG officials were invited.

“Well, I’ve no problem with him but we don’t belong to the same camp. When he contested, we supported Yusuf but he (Umar) emerged the winner. So, he and his supporters have been accusing us of insulting them. No matter what we post on social media, they always accuse us of insulting them. They’ve badly injured me in the head and other parts of my body,” the teacher said in Hausa language.

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When contacted by PREMIUM TIMES, the Community Protection Guards spokesperson, Abubakar Gumi, said the agency had not received any official complaint over the alleged attack on the teacher.

“Of course, we’ll investigate to know what actually happened. We’re not a lawless security organisation, so if it’s true that our staff are involved in the attack, then we’ll take the necessary actions,’ he told PREMIUM TIMES over the phone.

The ZCPG officials had also previously been accused of extrajudicial killing or attacking of innocent people suspected of colluding with terrorists.

In 2024, officials of the ZCPG killed a staffer of the Yandoto emirate, Magaji Lawali, over alleged ties with terrorists. He was picked by some members of the CPG for questioning but his family was later called to take his corpse.