4 killed in Zamfara as Yari, speaker’s groups clash

By Sanusi Muhammad
Gusau
No fewer than four persons have been killed in Zamfara as a result of a political clash between groups loyal to Governor Abdullaziz Yari and the speaker of the House of Assembly, Sanusi Garba Rikiji, of Tullukawa and Kofar Jange areas of Gusau, the state capital, clashed yesterday.
An eyewitness, who was identified as Abu Gummi, told Blueprint that the crisis started yesterday night in which one of the pro-governor group member(name withheld) had macheted one of the pro-speaker members (name withheld) to death.

The eyewitness added that the following day the group, in retaliation took, the law into their hands and launched attack to the Tullukawa area in search of the killer of their member, resulting in the killing of three persons, including the killer and many of them, injured.
Blueprint learnt that the clash was as a result of the recent alleged move by the members of the House of Assembly to impeach the Governor.

When contacted, the state police commissioner, Mr. Istifanus Shettima, confirmed the incident to newsmen, saying only two people were killed and that their remains had already been deposited at Federal Medical Centre morgue while investigation had begun.
The commissioner denied the report that the crisis was politically motivated, stressing that the Tullukawa and Kofar Jange areas of Gusau had been identified by the police as hoodlums’ hotspots.
He also called on general public to remain calm, assuring that the Command had taken urgent steps to restore peace.