Zamfara APC members besiege police hq over arrest of opposition leader

Dozens of members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State on Sunday stormed the state police headquarters in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital, demanding the unconditional release of their leader, Abu Dan-Tabawa, and others

Mr Dan-Tabawa was arrested for holding a secret meeting with armed bandits, according to the Zamfara State governor’s media aide, Zailani Baffa .

The protesters, holding placards with different inscriptions, accused the state police commissioner, Usman Nagogo, of partisanship over alleged frequent arrest of their members in the state.

The police on Saturday evening arrested Mr Dan-Tabawa, a political ally of the immediate past governor of the state, Abdulaziz Yari, at his residence in Gusau, following alleged sabotage of security.

One of the protesters accused the state police commissioner of being the campaign director of the ruling Peoples Democratic party in Zamfara

“CP Nagogo is the PDP coordinator in Zamfara,” she wrote on her own placard.

Commenting on the development, Mr Baffa wrote on his Twitter: ”I learnt that security operatives in Zamfara have placed an Abdulazeez Yari’s ally, Abu Dan-Tabawa, unde intensive interrogation following indisputable CCTT Camera footage of secret meeting with recalcitrant bandits.

Arrest not politically motivated – Police

The Zamfara State Police Command has, however, said that the arrest of Mr Dan-Tabawa and 17 others by operatives of the command on Saturday was not politically motivated.

The command’s spokesperson, Muhammad Shehu, in a statement, on Sunday, said the arrest was an intelligence- driven and proactive action by the state police command to prevent a possible breach of public peace and ensure that the state continues to enjoy the relative peace that is being enjoyed in recent times

”The arrest was carried out in the overall interest of public peace, public security and public safety,” the statement read.

“The Command wishes to warn all citizens of the state in respective of their political affiliation, their status or their standing in the society to desist from actions that are inimical to the safety and security of the citizens of the state,” Mr Shehu said in the statement.