By Francis Ajuonuma
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has alleged that security personnel attached to the Zamfara State Government were involved in the disappearance of one of its social media influencers, Bashir Isah Gusau.
In a statement on Thursday, the party’s Publicity Secretary in the state, Yusuf Idris Gusau, claimed that the influencer was picked up by operatives linked to the Government House.
“Bashir was taken around 10 pm from a football viewing centre in Sabon Gari by men who identified themselves as security operatives attached to the Government House,” he said.
According to him, the operatives arrived in a vehicle with a covered number plate and allegedly fired shots into the air when onlookers tried to intervene.
“They forced him into their vehicle and drove away to an unknown destination. Since then, all efforts to trace him have failed, and his phone lines have remained switched off,” he added.
The APC described the incident as an abuse of state power and accused the Dauda Lawal-led administration of using security agencies to intimidate political opponents.
“This is a clear case of misuse of state security to harass and silence opposition voices,” Yusuf said, adding that the party had alerted its legal team.
He said the APC had formally written to the Inspector General of Police and the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), urging them to investigate the matter and ensure Gusau’s safe return.
Reacting, the Zamfara State Government dismissed the allegation.
The Governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, described the claim as false, insisting that the administration had no role in the alleged incident.
“The governor has never been associated with harassment or intimidation of any individual. We do not know about such an arrest, and no evidence has been presented to link the Government House to it,” he said.
Also reacting, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Broadcast Media, Mustapha Jafaru Kaura, said the allegation was “baseless and misleading.”
“Governor Lawal is a man of peace and will not deploy security agencies for political vendetta,” Kaura said.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Zamfara State Police Command, DSP Yazid Abubakar, said the command was not aware of any reported abduction in Gusau.
“We have not received any official complaint on this matter. However, we will make further enquiries and provide updates accordingly,” he said.
