The turbaning of a ‘repented terrorist’, Adamu Yankuzo, aka Ada Aleru, as the Sarkin Fulani of the emirate of Yandoton Daji, Zamfara State on Saturday by the Emir, Aliyu Marafa, has continued to generate reactions.
Former presidential candidate of the National Conscience Party in 2015, Martin Onovo, called it a proof that the government of the day is culpable in the inability of the country to successfully curb insecurity.
Speaking to The Point on Monday, Onovo questioned the choice of an individual who was declared wanted by the Police, even though he is said to have repented.
“It would be surprising that of all the Fulani in the locality, the only one they find appropriate to be made the Sarkin Fulani is the repentant bandit, a leader of bandits, though said to have repented. Someone who was declared wanted by security authorities in the country, nothing more could justify the claim that the government is culpable in the inability of Nigeria to effectively tackle insecurity and terrorism in the country.
“I think it goes further to reaffirm our conclusion, which has been confirmed both locally and internationally, that the government is culpable. The evidence comes from people like General Theophilus Danjuma about the Armed Forces not being neutral, and of course we know that the government has the controls and commands of the Armed Forces. We have the testimony of Commodore Ola Oni, we have the confession of Kawu Baraje, and so many others.
“Internationally, we have the judgment of the Court in Dubai that convicted some Nigerians for terrorism financing.
So I think that all this removes any doubt that the government is not culpable. So if an Emir is making a bandit as Sarkin Fulani, all in the name of he is a repentant bandit or that so the Emirate may have peace, and we have government officials present at such a ceremony, security operatives there, too. There is no way the government of the day can be exonerated,” he argued.
Though the Zamfara State Government has suspended the Emir for turbaning Ada Aleru, public opinion continues to grow in condemnation of the action.
Reports had it that the turbaning ceremony was well-attended with the Zamfara State Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs, Mamman Tsafe; Security Advisor to the Governor, Abubakar Dauran; Tsafe Local Government Chairman, Aminu Mudi, and representatives of the Information Commissioner, District Heads and other traditional title holders and government officials.
