In a press statement issued on Wednesday by Sulaiman Bala Idris, spokesperson for the Zamfara State Governor, the state government accused the Minister of State for Defence, of using the NSA’s office to target opposition members, describing the alleged action as a dangerous abuse of power and a threat to democratic norms.
The Zamfara State Government has raised alarm over the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle’s alleged use of the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) to intimidate opposition figures within the state.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday by Sulaiman Bala Idris, spokesperson for the Zamfara State Governor, the state government accused the Minister of State for Defence, of using the NSA’s office to target opposition members, describing the alleged action as a dangerous abuse of power and a threat to democratic norms.
According to the statement, Saleem Abubakar, a Technical Assistant in the Office of the Zamfara State Governor, was allegedly abducted in Abuja on Monday by operatives described as a special forces’ unit linked to the Office of the National Security Adviser.
The Zamfara State government claimed that the operatives acted without an arrest warrant and took Abubakar to an unknown location, later moving him between different facilities in what it alleged was an attempt to conceal his whereabouts.
“The most unfortunate and worrying aspect of this incident is that the abduction of Saleem Abubakar was allegedly syndicated through the office of the NSA by the Minister of State for Defence,” the statement read.
The Zamfara State Government warned that such actions set a “perilous precedent” and called on Nigerians to condemn what it described as the politicisation of national security institutions.
It further urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene by calling the Office of the National Security Adviser to order, warning that the alleged actions could damage Nigeria’s democratic credentials and international reputation.
The government maintained that if there were any allegations against Abubakar, due process should be followed by charging him in a court of law rather than subjecting him to what it termed an illegal abduction.
“We are closely monitoring this case of federal impunity and will follow it to its logical conclusion to ensure that justice is served,” the statement added.