The Zamfara State Government has raised concerns over the alleged abduction of one of its officials in Abuja, accusing federal security operatives of being deployed to harass and intimidate opposition figures in the state.
According to the state government, the operation was allegedly orchestrated by the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, a development it described as deeply troubling.
The government cited the case of Saleem Abubakar, a technical assistant in the office of the Zamfara State governor, who was reportedly abducted in the Federal Capital Territory by operatives said to be linked to the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).
In a statement, the governor’s spokesman, Sulaiman Idris, said the incident had intensified fears over what he described as the increasing 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.
The state government alleged that the abduction was carried out without an arrest warrant by a special security unit believed to be operating under 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.
It further claimed, “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.”
Idris also alleged that Abubakar was taken to an undisclosed location before being moved between facilities, a move he said was intended to conceal his whereabouts and evade 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 incident as a dangerous development, the Zamfara State Government warned that such actions, if unchecked, could erode the neutrality and professionalism of Nigeria’s security institutions.
“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 added.
