The crisis raging in the Kano state All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken another dimension with a petition written to the Inspector General of Police by a former governor of the state, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau over the setting ablaze of the campaign office of Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North).

The petition dated December 2 and stamped received on Friday, was signed by Shekarau, Barau and four members of the House of Representatives.

The representatives are Nasiru Abdua, Tijjani Abdulkadir Jobe, Shaaban Sharada and Haruna Isa Dederi.

The lawmakers, who challenged Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s leadership of the party in the state, are known as the G-7.

Shekarau and the federal lawmakers said the attack on Barau’s campaign office was triggered by the November 30 judgement of the FCT High Court which sacked the executives of the APC faction belonging to the state government.

In the petition, the lawmakers fingered Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, chairman of the APC faction loyal to the state governor; 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 Nassarawa LGA and one Gwarmai.

“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 judgment 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, Abdullahi Abbas, former chairman of APC and five others together with some other well armed thugs organized 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 attempt to unleash violence on law abiding citizens,” the petition read.

The lawmakers, who urged the Inspector General of Police to probe the matter, added that, “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 said.

Efforts to get reactions from all those fingered in the petition were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

Calls and text messages sent to Abbas, Sule-Garo and Alfindiki were not responded to while others could not be reached on their known phone numbers.

(Daily Trust)

Update news