An Islamic Cleric in Magarya community of Zurmi LGA, Zamfara state, Muhammad Abubakar Magarya, who was promoting dialogue with bandits due to apparent failure of security forces uproot banditry in his community has been killed.
Imam Magarya reportedly opted for the dialogue because of the apparent failure of the security agencies to successfully combat the criminal activities of the bandits.
WikkiTimes learned that the cleric has on many occasions has publicly condemned bandits’ attacks in the community.
A vigilante group in Magarya community has been fingered in the circumstance of the murder of the Imam.
A deceased’s son, Abdulmajid Muhammad, told WikkiTimes that said his father was allegedly killed after he opted to dialogue with the bandits in a community since security agencies and government have failed to protect them.
According to him, his father being an Imam in the area attended a community gathering to discuss the recurring bandits’ attacks where he argued what remains for them is to opt for dialogue with the bandits since all efforts failed.
“Some days ago, bandits attacked and killed 8 people and displaced people. They also prevented farmers from going to their farms and are looting our stored farm produce. That’s the reason why the people of Kaura called for stakeholders to meet to find solutions to the problem.
“As they were discussing, they asked Liman (late Muhammad Abubakar) to speak. So, he suggested that since harvest season is near and security agencies have not been able to do the needful, why can’t they negotiate with the bandits so that they will allow them to continue going to the farms and thereafter they should look for other alternatives’, he said.
Seeking Justice
According to him, if there is anything his father would have said to warrant his gruesome murder was this, saying that all they need now is Justice for their slain father.
The son fingered the group for the death of his father, alleging that they were the last people seen chasing his father on his motorcycle on his way home from a nearby village.
“We looked for him for two days after the meeting but couldn’t find him. We discovered his body dumped in a nearby village after some women tip us of a body of an old man whom they saw ‘Yan Sakai following”, he added.
According to him, his late father had before been killed by his assailants pleaded with the women to let his family know of what happened to him.
He appealed to relevant governmental and non-governmental organizations to wade in and ensure that justice prevailed.
When WikkiTimes contacted Yazid Abubakar, Zamfara State Police Command’s spokesman, he said he is yet to be briefed about the incident but promised to revert, but he is yet to do so as at press time.
