A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Zamfara State, Dr. Sani Shinkafi, has raised the alarm over an alleged assassination attempt on his life, claiming it was orchestrated by disgruntled politicians and bandits following his critical remarks about notorious bandits’ leader, Bello Turji.
Addressing journalists at his residence in Gusau on Saturday night, Shinkafi disclosed that some individuals had attempted to attack him during a wedding ceremony he attended at a mosque in Gusau last Friday.
He alleged that the attack was linked to his recent comments on the failure of security agencies to apprehend Turji, who has been terrorizing Zamfara communities.
Recounting the incident, Shinkafi said he was at Rabi’a Jum’at Mosque to attend the wedding fatiha of his associate’s daughters when a group of armed youths accosted him.
“I was in the mosque when some boys wielding dangerous weapons approached me, shouting insults and attempting to attack me. If not for the swift intervention of security agents and my political associates, they would have killed me,” he said.
Shinkafi expressed shock that the alleged attackers were members of his own party, the APC, describing the incident as a deliberate attempt on his life.
“I recognized the attackers as APC members. This is clearly a mission to silence me because I openly criticized the failure to arrest Bello Turji and stated that we won’t allow anyone to hijack our party ahead of the 2027 general elections,” he said.
Shinkafi accused certain politicians within the APC of being unhappy with his stance on insecurity and party leadership. He vowed to continue speaking out against injustice and warned against a repeat of past electoral mistakes in the state.
“We all saw how APC lost Zamfara in 2019 and 2023 due to the imposition of candidates. This will not happen again under my watch. I will continue to advocate for justice and speak out on insecurity, regardless of who it offends,” Shinkafi declared.
He urged President Bola Tinubu and APC stakeholders to address the insecurity plaguing Zamfara and deploy more security personnel to the state.
“Mr. President must take decisive action against Turji and his accomplices if he wants to secure a second term. The people of Zamfara deserve peace and security,” he added.
Reacting to the incident, the Zamfara State chapter of the APC condemned the attack on Shinkafi and pledged to take action against the perpetrators.
In a statement issued by the party’s spokesperson, Yusuf Idris, the APC described the attack as “unacceptable” and assured members of justice.
“The APC totally condemns Friday’s attack on Hon. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi during the wedding fatiha of Alhaji Siddi Daki Takwas’ children. Such behavior is alien to the values of our party,” the statement read.
The party also warned members to channel grievances through proper party mechanisms, stressing its commitment to reconciliation and discipline.
“As a responsible party, we will ensure all members enjoy the privileges provided by the constitution. The perpetrators of this indiscipline will be arrested and prosecuted,” Idris said.