The Zamfara State All Progressives Congress has denounced what it called the illegal entry into the home of the former governor Bello Matawalle in his hometown.
According to the party, the invasion represented a “gross violation of sections 34, 35, 37, 41, 42, and 43 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Constitution of 1999.”
In a statement released on Friday, Yusuf Idris, the APC’s publicity secretary, claimed that no law in the nation authorised the police, the DSS, or any other security agency to enter a citizen’s property without their consent or a warrant.
He emphasised that the DSS and the police had acted improperly and might have been accused of having political motivations.
“If the government believes it has a case against the former Governor, why not charge him in court instead of using such cruel and uncivilised methods?” the statement asked.
The perpetrators of this misadventure by the Zamfara state government must be found and made to bear the severe consequences of their actions, we demand of the Nigerian Police Force and Department of State Service (DSS) to act swiftly and decisively.
The alleged governor of Zamfara, Dauda Lawal, is said to have ordered the alleged action, which is at the very least, ‘arcane, barbaric, brutal, unacceptable, and an illegal trespass on the former governor’s property in Gusau and his hometown Maradun.
No law in the nation grants the police, the DSS, or any other security organisation the authority to enter a citizen’s property without their permission or a warrant.
“In a similar vein, no governor of a state has the right to enter another person’s property without their permission, regardless of their justification.
“We demand the immediate arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators because the police and DSS in Zamfara committed a mistake and may have been accused of acting in a political manner.
“We urge the Inspector General of Police to order an immediate investigation and prosecution of those responsible for breaking into Bello Matawalle, a leader of the APC in Zamfara State, and his two homes.
“At this time, police are stationed in every residence and have barricaded the roads leading to his Gusau home.
“We also urge the Inspector General of Police to order the stationed police officers’ immediate arrest and inquire as to their deployment’s justification.
“The former governor has stated on numerous occasions that he has nothing to hide, but legal action must first be taken before taking any further action against him or his property.
“We cannot support such action, especially in our dear state, which has deteriorating security challenges,” the statement reads. “We urge the police and all sister security agencies and their agents to trade political grounds with caution.”
There were reports that heavily armed security personnel stormed Matawalle’s home in his hometown of Maradun earlier in the day and took several vehicles.
Mohammed Ahmed, a local who spoke with our correspondent, claimed that the DSS and police, who were present in large numbers, broke into the former governor’s home and jacked up a number of vehicles before taking them to the police station in Maradun town.
Ahmed claims that the security officers went straight to the former governor’s house and began evacuating the vehicles as soon as they arrived in Maradun town.
“The security guards, the majority of whom were wearing police uniforms, arrived at the former governor’s residence this afternoon and pried open the gate.
“They entered the home, removed a number of vehicles, and brought them to the Maradun town police station.
“There were 15 vehicles removed from the house and brought to the police station, by my count.”
The security personnel, the majority of whom are dressed in police uniforms, are currently searching the home for additional items as I speak to you, Ahmed said.
SP Yazid Abubakar, the police public relations officer, would not answer his phone after repeated attempts to reach him.
In his inaugural address, Matawalle’s successor, Governor Dauda Lawal, expressed disgust over the fact that Matawalle had taken many vehicles and abandoned the treasury empty.
Since his defeat in the election, Matawalle has been travelling.
