The Zamfara State Government has raised an alarm over the increasing use of federal security agencies to intimidate and harass opposition figures, characterizing the trend as a dangerous abuse of “federal might.”
In a statement released Sunday, by Sulaiman Bala Idris Spokesperson for the Zamfara Governor
the state government accused the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, of orchestrating the illegal detention of state officials via the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).
The government specifically cited the “abduction” of Saleem Abubakar, a Technical Assistant to the Zamfara State Governor, who was reportedly seized by a special forces unit in Abuja on Saturday.
“The illegal abduction of Saleem Abubakar was carried out without an arrest warrant,” said Sulaiman Bala Idris, Spokesperson for the Governor. “We have information that he was moved between multiple facilities to conceal his whereabouts. This is a perilous precedent. The highest security office in the country must not be used as a tool for political vendetta.”
The Zamfara State Government called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and restrain the Office of the National Security Adviser from being used for partisan interests.
“If the Defence Minister or the NSA’s office has a legitimate case against Mr. Abubakar, they should charge him in court rather than resorting to gestapo-style tactics,” the statement continued. “We are monitoring this case of federal impunity closely and will ensure justice is served.”
