THE Zamfara State Government has raised the alarm over what it described as the alleged abduction of one of its officials in Abuja, accusing federal security operatives of being used to harass and intimidate opposition figures within the state.
The government claimed that Saleem Abubakar, a technical assistant in the office of the Zamfara State Governor, was allegedly abducted in the Federal Capital Territory by operatives linked to the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).
In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Thursday, the spokesman to the Zamfara State Governor, Sulaiman Bala Idris, said the incident had heightened concerns over what he termed the growing use of federal institutions for political persecution.
“We received a shocking and distressing message that Saleem Abubakar, a technical assistant in the office of the Zamfara State Governor, was abducted in Abuja yesterday,” Idris said.
According to the state government, the alleged abduction was carried out without an arrest warrant by a special security unit said to be operating from the NSA’s office.
“The illegal abduction was said to be carried out by a special forces unit from the office of the National Security Adviser,” the statement alleged.
The Zamfara government further claimed that the operation was allegedly orchestrated by the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, describing the development as the most troubling aspect of the incident.
“The most unfortunate and worrying part of the abduction of Saleem Abubakar is that it was syndicated through the office of the NSA by the State Minister for Defence, Bello Matawalle,” the spokesman said.
Idris alleged that Abubakar was taken to an undisclosed location and later moved between different facilities, which he claimed was an attempt to conceal his whereabouts and obscure accountability.
“The abductors, without an arrest warrant, took Saleem to an unknown location, which we later found out they moved him from to different facilities to cover their tracks,” he stated.
Describing the alleged incident as a dangerous precedent, the Zamfara government warned that such actions, if left unchecked, could undermine the neutrality and professionalism of Nigeria’s security architecture.
“This is a perilous precedent that all Nigerians must strongly condemn. No amount of desperation is worth compromising the neutrality of the security agencies,” the statement said.
The state government called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and rein in what it described as reckless conduct by federal security institutions.
“We cannot afford to fold our arms and watch the highest security office of the country being used as a tool of political persecution,” Idris said. “We call on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to call the office of the National Security Adviser to order. Such reckless actions are detrimental to Nigeria’s reputation.”
The Zamfara government insisted that if there were legitimate allegations against Abubakar, due process must be followed.
“If the Defence Minister or the abductors of Saleem Abubakar from the National Security Adviser’s office have any problem with him, they should charge him in court instead of abducting him,” the statement added.
The government said it was closely monitoring the situation and vowed to pursue the matter to its logical conclusion.
“We are closely monitoring this case of federal impunity and will follow it to a logical conclusion, ensuring that justice is served,” Idris said.
As of the time of filing this report, there had been no official response from the Office of the National Security Adviser or the Ministry of Defence regarding the allegations.