THE Kebbi State House of Assembly has thrown out a petition filed by former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, accusing the state governor of importing political thugs and foreign mercenaries to destabilize the state.
Addressing journalists during an emergency press conference at the Assembly complex over the weekend, Speaker Rt. Hon. Muhammad Usman described Malami’s allegations as “baseless, mischievous, and entirely without merit.”
Usman stressed that Kebbi State has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of Nigeria’s most peaceful states and that any attempt to tarnish this image was an attack on the good people of the state.
“These allegations are clearly designed to distract the government from its developmental strides,” the Speaker said. “Our politics in Kebbi is anchored on dialogue and respect for democratic values, not on violence or lawlessness.”
He added that there is no evidence linking the state government to the alleged importation of political thugs, arms trafficking, or collaboration with mercenaries.
According to the Speaker, all security agencies operating in Kebbi have confirmed that there is no intelligence to support Malami’s claims.
“The petition appears to be a deliberate attempt to incite fear, create unnecessary tension, and undermine the relative peace enjoyed by Kebbi people,” Usman said.
He urged security agencies to thoroughly investigate the petition and prosecute Malami if it is established that the claims were made in bad faith, noting that such actions could serve as a deterrent to others seeking to create unrest through false alarms.
Malami, who currently serves as the Kebbi State Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), had on Wednesday submitted a petition to top security authorities, including the National Security Adviser (NSA), Inspector-General of Police (IGP), and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS).
In the petition, Malami alleged that certain political actors in Kebbi were collaborating with foreign mercenaries from Niger Republic and engaging in illegal arms trafficking to intimidate citizens, silence the opposition, and destabilize the state.
He further claimed that on September 1, he and other prominent indigenes were attacked by armed thugs “operating without fear of law enforcement.” Malami warned that these alleged activities posed serious threats not only to Kebbi’s peace but also to Nigeria’s national security and sovereignty.
Despite the political tension, the Kebbi Assembly urged residents to remain calm and not allow fear to spread.
“We are focused on maintaining peace and security in Kebbi, and no amount of distraction will derail our efforts,” the Speaker emphasized.
The Assembly reaffirmed its support for the state government’s security architecture and vowed to cooperate with security agencies to ensure that peace and stability are maintained across all local government areas.
