Campaign Office Attack: Shekarau, Barau, Others Write IGP

Nseobong Okon-Ekong

A former governor of Kano State, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, Senator Jibrin Barau and four other members of the House of Representatives have petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba Usman over the setting ablaze of the campaign office of Senator Barau in Kano on Thursday.

The petition, dated December 2, was signed by Senator Shekarau (Kano Central), Senator Barau (Kano South), and four members of the House of Representatives including; Nasiru Abdua, Tijjani Abdulkadir Jobe, Shaaban Sharada and Haruna Isa Dederi. The federal lawmakers said the attack on Senator Barau’s campaign office was triggered by the November 30 judgement of the FCT High Court which sacked the executives of the faction of the APC belonging to the state government.

An FCT High Court had on Tuesday ruled in favour of the faction of the APC, belonging to Senator Shekarau’s camp. The just concluded congresses of the party had polarised the ruling party into two.

In the petition, the lawmakers pointed accusing fingers at a former chairman of the APC faction loyal to the state governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Murtala Sule Garo.

Faizu Alfindiki, Chairman Kano Municipal LGA; Khalid Ishaq Diso, Chairman Gwale LGA; Hassan Garban Kauye, Chairman Kumbotso LGA; Auwal Lawan Shuaibu, Chairman Nasarawa LGA and one Gwarmai. The allegation is however being investigated as the accusation is yet to be substantiated.

“You will recall that on November 30, an FCT High Court had delivered judgement in a suit concerning the Kano APC congresses and the said judgement did not go down with those who lost in the case.

“Regrettably, however, instead of fighting their cause through due legal process, these frustrated elements resorted to carrying out the criminal acts mentioned above. We have been reliably informed, which information we verily believe to be true and correct that through the night of December 1 to the early morning of December 2, 2021, a former chairman of APC and five others together with some other well armed thugs organised and set ablaze the campaign office of Senator Barau and attempted to kill those they met at the scene.

“They also tried to burn our party office located along Zaria Road and kill or inflict bodily harm to its occupants. They also passed by our respective residences with armed thugs chanting war songs in an attempt to unleash violence on law-abiding citizens,” the petition reads.

While urging the Inspector General of Police to probe the matter, the lawmakers said, “should anything happen to us and our supporters, the aforementioned people should be held responsible.

“In the circumstances, therefore, we hereby write to request you, sir, to use your good offices to thoroughly investigate this matter with a view to bringing everyone involved to book and forestall any further breakdown of law and order as well as prevent reprisal attacks.

“Their hope is to see reprisal attacks from our side so as to turn Kano into a killing field. In spite of the threats and provocations, however, as responsible leaders, we shall continue to be law abiding, hoping that you will address our complaint as appropriate,” they appealed to the IGP.