Operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) have arrested Sanusi Rikiji, speaker of the Zamfara state house of assembly, over an alleged plot to impeach Abdulaziz Yari, governor of the state.
Rikiji and some members of the assembly are currently being detained in Abuja.
Those said to be detained along with him are Muhammad Gumi, deputy speaker; Isah Abdulmumini, majority leader; and Abdullahi Dansadau, the chief whip.
The assembly, which has listed six impeachable offences against Yari, accused him of interfering with their affairs.
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In a statement, signed by Mannir Jaja, chairman of the house committee on information, the lawmakers called for the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari.
They accused the governor of failing to remit funds deducted for pensions and gratuities to pension fund administrators as provided by law.
They said he also ignored a resolution of the assembly not to appoint Murtala Jangebe as chairman of the Sstate Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
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The statement said the assembly had passed a ,vote of no confidence in Jangebe, after he was allegedly found to have misappropriated over N1 billion belonging to the board in 2014.
The statement accused the governor of frequent foreign trips which have had negative impact on the day-to-day running of government, apart from imposing financial burden on the state.
The lawmakers condemned the arrest of their colleagues, and urged the president Muhammadu Buhari to caution the agency against further interference in the matter.
“We are also demanding the unconditional release of our principal officers who are currently under detention with the DSS in Abuja,” the statement read.
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Yari is the current chairman of the Nigerian governors’ forum (NGF).
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