DSS Arrests Zamfara Assembly Speaker, Others as Lawmakers Plan to Impeach Governor

Governor Abdulaziz Yari

The Department of State Security (DSS) has arrested the Speaker, Sanusi Rikiji, his deputy, Muhammad Gumi, Majority Whip and supporting staff of the Zamfara State House of Assembly.

The lawmakers confirmed the arrest in a statement issued in Gusau by the Chairman of the Assembly’s Committee on Information, Alhaji Mannir Gidan-Jaja.

The lawmakers described the arrest as a clear interference in the functions of the legislature as enshrined in the Constitution.

They urged President Muhammadu Buhari to caution the DSS against further interference in the matter.

“We are demanding the unconditional release of our principal officers who are currently under detention with the DSS in Abuja,” the statement said.

The statement also accused Governor Abdulaziz Yari of misappropriating billions of naira from the state coffers.

The Assembly listed six impeachable offences allegedly committed by Gov. Yari, which prompted it to mull impeachment proceedings against him.

It listed the money allegedly misappropriated to include N11 billion bailout fund, N1 billion agricultural loan released to the state by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and “corrupt abuse of local government funds”.

The assembly also accused the governor of failing to remit funds deducted for pensions and gratuities to pension fund administrators as provided by law.

According to the statement, the governor had also ignored a resolution of the assembly not to appoint Alhaji Murtala Jangebe as Chairman of the state Universal Basic Education Board.

It said that the assembly had passed a ,vote of no confidence in Jangebe, after he was allegedly found to have misappropriated over N1 billion belonging to the board in 2014.

The statement accused the governor of frequent foreign trips which have had negative impact on the day-to-day running of government, apart from imposing financial burden on the state.