Yari’s ex-commissioner sent to prison for ‘cattle rustling’

An upper Sharia court sitting in Gusau, capital of Zamfara state, on Wednesday remanded Bello Dankande, who served as commissioner of local government and chieftaincy affairs under Abdulaziz Yari, former governor of the state.

Dakande, who was accused of kidnapping and cattle rustling,  is the second chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) to be remanded within 48 hours.

Ibrahim Danmaliki, secretary of the party’s publicity committee, was detained for alleged defamation and incitement.

Dankande was arraigned before Hadi Sani, a judge, for alleged kidnapping two persons and rustling of 50 cows and 52 sheep.

Ibrahim Haruna, counsel to the state government, alleged that Dankande instructed Saminu Gandau and Shitu Mafara,  two members of Yan Sakai, a vigilante group, to abduct one Sani Na’awala and another individual simply identified as Ja’o and seize their animals.

He said the animals were moved from the settlement of the victims in Bakura local government area and had a stopover at Talata-Mafara before they were brought to the Committee on the Recovery of Rustled animals in Gusau where the animals were said to have disappeared.

He also told the court that the two abducted persons were yet to be found.

Dankande, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges while Bello Umar, his counsel, demanded a copy of the case file which could not be traced during the hearing.

The defence counsel challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case, saying even if the offence was committed, it was in far away Bakura but the prosecution said since the animals disappeared in Gusau, the court had the jurisdiction to hear the case.

Hadi Sani, the presiding judge, held that he needed time to find out whether the court had the jurisdiction to hear the case.

He adjourned the case till December 12 and ordered the accused person to be remanded in correctional centre till the set date.

Yari and Bello Matawalle, the incumbent governor, have been in the news in recent times over the insecurity in the state.

Last week, Matawalle threatened to order the arrest of his predecessor whom he blamed for fresh attacks across the state.

Yari had denied the allegation, saying he was being targetted for no just cause.