Story behind murder of Sokoto politician

There are also insinuations that it could be over preparations to decamp to the CPC where his business and political mentor, Alhaji Adamu Aliero moved to. Others still allude to a plot and tussle the deceased was allegedly involved in. However, the police in Sokoto, last Thursday said they are working on the theory of […]

There are also insinuations that it could be over preparations to decamp to the CPC where his business and political mentor, Alhaji Adamu Aliero moved to. Others still allude to a plot and tussle the deceased was allegedly involved in. However, the police in Sokoto, last Thursday said they are working on the theory of armed robbery and ruled out other insinuations over the assassination of the PDP stalwart.

 

Late Dan Da Abubakar, 42, was killed by yet-to-be-identified gunmen at his residence in Mana area of Sokoto on his arrival home at about 11: 30pm. Reports claim that the gunmen allegedly received N100million to take his life. However, the Sokoto state Police Commissioner, Alhaji Umaru Abubakar Manko,  while speaking with journalists, Thursday  on the incident ,said from the police interim report , it was a case of armed robbery, saying the attempt by  the late Mana to escape when he was accosted by one of the gunmen  may have triggered the shooting.

The commissioner said statements were taken from three vital eyewitnesses who were there. The witnesses included a 25-year-old son of the deceased, Bashir Mana, younger brother of the deceased, Alhaji Kimba and a gateman, 45-year-old Malam Tukur Garba. According to the testimony of Bashir, the gunmen came into the house, dispossessed them of their handsets and collected some amounts of money from them. He said Alhaji Kimba on the other hand, stated that he was sleeping and that by the time he woke up, he saw a gang of gunmen who locked him up together with others.

The commissioner said in his testimony, the gateman said on that day, he had a slight headache and went to the security post to take a nap. He added that while sleeping, he heard some noises and that by the time he opened his eyes, he saw two people, one with a knife and the other with a rifle, who started asking questions about the whereabouts of the man of the house, where does he keep his money and whether his wife sleeps there, etc.

He said as he was answering, there was a flash and one of the gunmen said possibly that was the owner of the house. The gateman said as he attempted to go and check, one of them said no. He added that one of the gunmen who opened the gate held on to the gate while the other went to meet Abubakar in the car and told him to come down.

The gateman continued that Abubakar replied that he will not come down. The gunman, according to the gateman’s testimony, then said he should bring down the glass of the car, Dan Da Abubakar said no, and that in an attempt to escape, attracted the other gang members inside who came out and started firing.

The commissioner, however, assured that the police will do everything possible to get the culprits. “They may be lucky to escape now but we will get them and ensure they face the law.” He appealed to citizens to give vital information to help the police.