Zamfara police says Atiku’s ‘witnesses’ were not attacked

The Zamfara State Police Command has tagged as untrue claims that bandits attacked witnesses of the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, who were travelling to Abuja.

The Tribunal had on Friday adjourned hearing on the petition by the PDP and Atiku, challenging the outcome of the February 23 presidential election, after the petitioners claimed some witnesses heading to the tribunal were attacked and injured by armed bandits.

“My lords, information we just got is that some of the witnesses we scheduled for this afternoon were waylaid by armed men while on their way. They were coming from Zamfara.

“This is a matter in which our witnesses are coming from far places”, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, told the court.

Corroborating the report, Atiku’s lead counsel, Dr. Livy Uzoukwu, SAN, said: “To confirm, I was the one that was called on the phone and I had to repeatedly go outside to receive the call.

However, the Zamfara police command in a statement on Saturday by SP Muhammad Shehu, said the claims the witnesses they were attacked by bandits in Zamfara state were false.

READ ALSO: BUHARI VS ATIKU: Tribunal sitting postponed as bandits reportedly attack witnesses

He said: “It is pertinent to categorically state that as far the crime statistics of Zamfara state is concerned, there was no any attack by bandits either on villages or on any person or group of persons traveling on any highway in the state.

“Since the inception of the ongoing peace and dialogue initiative in the state, attacks, kidnapping and other heinous crime in the state have been reduced drastically to about 98 percent, a situation that has restored peace and stability in the state.”

Shehu disclosed unprecedented achievements have been recorded in the battle against insecurity. He cited the rescue of over 100 persons kidnapped and held in captivity for months through the initiatives of Commissioner of Police, Usman Nagogo.

“Therefore, the command wishes to refute the entire story as misleading and a calculated attempt to undermine the current effort of both the state government and the police to bring lasting peace for social and economic development in the state,” the statement added.

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