From Ibrahim Kaulahi, Gusau
Former Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa has alleged that the members of Community Protection Guard (CPG) who have been recently trained and inaugurated by the Zamfara State Government had arrested, detained and tortured his political allied, one Magaji Lawali to death.
In a press briefing at his ‘Yandoto residence on Tuesday, Senator Marafa cried that, “One of my political allied, Magaji Lawali, was invited to response to some questions by the officials of CPG Tsafe division on the allegations surrounding illegal possession of firearms and banditry aiding just created against him by yet to be identified person.
“I was called on phone and informed about the invitation by the CPG Tsafe division which I replied that the deceased should feel free and honour it, he reported himself to Tsafe division of CPG alongside two others from our community, ‘Yandoto.
“We are not doubting their patriotism and law abiding identities in the community, they are all good and harmless who always choose to criticize crimes and criminals, but only encourage respect to legitimacy on affairs and had never been caught or witnessed with anything unlawful since their childhoods to date.
“What we fear most was the involvement of a recruited CPG member in Tsafe local government council who take a party in the arrest and detention of the deceased before we finally found the motionless body at Tsafe General Hospital, was about a year ago, been paraded by Zamfara Police Command as suspected bandit in military uniform with AK47 rifle, now recruited member of CPG”, Marafa has cried.
He further challenged that, he watched the CPG member in question on screen about a year ago now as aired by the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), he was arrested by the Police and paraded him at the State Command, he was in military uniform with AK47 rifle in his possession.
Marafa explained that, he welcomed the establishment of CPG by Governor Lawal, adding that, “Had I been invited I would have attended the inauguration ceremony occasioned by the state government few weeks ago, but I still appointed a representative who graced the event in my name.
“My call on Governor Dauda Lawal, is for him to checkmate this incident because I learnt that some bad eggs among them are all out to sabotage this gigantic project, and he must thoroughly X-ray the matter especially as it involves somebody paraded as suspected bandit now in CPG uniform”, Marafa has stressed.
He revealed that they have sponsored for the conduct of autopsy on the body of the deceased by medical experts with a view to acquire the real cause of his death despite noticing marks of torture on his body, again, “I contacted service providers to help detect for us on who communicated with who surrounding the death of Magaji Lawali.