The Emir of Yandoton Daji, Aliyu Marafa, in Zamfara State, was on Sunday suspended after he turbaned a wanted terrorist, Ada Aleru, the Sarkin Fulani (the leader of the Fulani) of the emirate.
The Governor of the state, Bello Matawalle, created the Yandoton Daji emirate out of Tsafe emirate on May 18.
While creating the emirate, the governor charged the new emir to “use the new opportunities at their doorstep to foster more unity and instil more cohesion and discipline in the society as inherited from our forefathers,”
The area of influence in the new emirate consists of Yandoton Daji, Keta, Kizara, Bawa Kwanga, Kwaren Ganuwa, Danjibga, and Kuncin Kalgo districts with Headquarters at Birnin Yandoto.
But two months after the creation of the emirate, Mr Marafa was suspended after he conferred a traditional title on the wanted terrorist, Mr Aleru.
But he was not the first traditional ruler that has come under the hammer of the state government for allegedly aiding the activities of terror gangs in the state.
Since 2019, the governor has been accusing traditional rulers in the state of collaborating with the terror gangs that attack communities, educational institutions, and government offices in the state. These gunmen also specialise in kidnapping travellers for ransom.
Subsequently, the governor has deposed or suspended some of the emirs for allegedly aiding the activities of the terror gangs. However, none of those deposed has been charged with any wrongdoing.
The following are some of the traditional rulers suspended or deposed for allegedly supporting the terrorists in the state.
The Emir of Maru
The governor Mr Matawalle, in August 2019 removed the Emir of Maru, Abubakar Cika, for allegedly supporting gunmen accused of attacking communities and killing several people in his constituency.
The removal of the emir was announced by the then deputy governor, Mahdi Aliyu.
The Emir was originally suspended in June following protests by his subjects amidst allegations he was working with terrorists and cattle rustlers in Maru council area.
The government set up a committee headed by the former Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, to investigate the emir.
The committee found the emir wanting and recommended his removal. The emir was deposed in August 2019. He was, however, never prosecuted.
The Emir of Zurmi
In June 2021, the governor suspended the Emir of Zurmi, Atiku Abubakar, for allegedly being complicit in the activities of bandits in his domain.
Mr Abubakar was suspended after gunmen attacked Kadawa village; 61 people were killed in that attack.
After the suspension of Mr Abubakar, the governor handed over the reins of the emirate to a top chief, Bello Suleiman, pending the report of a committee set up to investigate the incident and the deposed emir’s involvement.
Though the committee has reportedly submitted it the report of its investigation, the government has not made the report publicly available. The suspect was not charged for his alleged crime.
The Emir of Dansadau
Also in June 2021, Mr Matawalle suspended the Emir of Dansadau, Hussaini Umar, for aiding terrorists
The government set up a committee chaired by the state’s Commissioner for Security Affairs, Mamman Tsafe, a retired deputy Inspector general of police, to investigate the connection between the emir and criminal gangs in the area.
Like his colleagues, the emir of Dansadau was never charged to court.
The removal of district heads
The district head of Kanoma in Maru emirate, Lawali Ahmad, was removed in 2019, alongside his emir, Abubakar Chika, for the same alleged offence.
In January 2020 the governor suspended the district heads of Kanwa and Burmi, Garba Kanwa, and Bello Yusuf, from Zurmi and Bakura, local governments respectively for allegedly aiding banditry.
They were also accused of insubordination. Both men were accused of opposing the government’s peace programs and for political interference.
Keeping with the trend of removing traditional rulers for allegedly supporting or conniving with the terrorists, the district head of Nasarawa Mailaya, in Zurmi council area, Bello Wakkala, was also removed alongside the emir of Zurmi in 2021.
In the same year, the government also removed the District Head of Birnin Tsaba in Zurmi Emirate, Suleiman Danyabi, for the same reason.
None of the dismissed traditional rulers has been charged despite the enormity of the accusations for which they were removed from office.
The governor’s spokesperson, Zailani Baffa, did not respond to calls to comment on why the suspects are yet to be charged in court.
Katsina State
In May 2021, the District Head of Kankara, in Katsina State, Yusuf Lawal, was suspended for alleged complicity in terrorism.
The Secretary of the Katsina Emirate Council, Bello Ifo, said the district head was found guilty by a committee that investigated his alleged association with bandits.
The committee said it found Mr Lawal guilty of aiding and siding with criminals including kidnappers operating in the Kankara axis and recommended his removal.
However, residents said some of the traditional rulers side with the gunmen out of fear for their own lives because security agents seldom respond to distress calls or act on intelligence reports passed over to them by these traditional rulers.
Kankara was in the news last year for the abduction of over 300 students of the Government Boys Science Secondary School in the town.
The mastermind of the abduction, a notorious bandit called Auwalun Daudawa, was a few months later killed in a clash with a rival group in a forest between Katsina and Zamfara states.
The known phone contact of Abdu Labaran, the spokesperson for Governor Masari, did not connect Tuesday evening when our reporter reached him for comment.
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