Dr. Sani Shinkafi, a prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State, has raised alarm over an alleged assassination attempt on his life, which he believes was orchestrated by disgruntled politicians and bandits. The attempt came after his critical remarks about notorious bandit leader Bello Turji.
Shinkafi, speaking to journalists at his Gusau residence on Saturday, revealed that the attack occurred during a wedding ceremony he attended at Rabi’a Jum’at Mosque in Gusau last Friday. He accused the attackers of being linked to his recent criticisms of the inability of security agencies to apprehend Turji, who has been terrorizing communities across Zamfara.
Recounting the harrowing experience, Shinkafi explained that while at the mosque for a wedding fatiha, a group of armed youths approached him, shouting insults and attempting to assault him. He credited the timely intervention of security agents and his political associates for saving his life.
“I was in the mosque when some boys wielding dangerous weapons approached me, shouting insults and trying to attack me. If not for the quick intervention of security agents and my associates, I would have been killed,” he said.
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Shinkafi expressed shock and disappointment upon recognizing that the attackers were members of his own political party, the APC. He described the incident as a deliberate attempt to silence him for speaking out against the failure to arrest Bello Turji and his concerns about party leadership ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“I recognized the attackers as APC members. This is clearly a mission to silence me because I openly criticized the failure to arrest Turji and said that we won’t allow anyone to hijack our party ahead of the 2027 elections,” he said.
The APC chieftain also accused certain party politicians of being upset by his stance on insecurity and leadership matters within the party. He emphasized that he would continue to speak out against injustice, regardless of any opposition, and vowed not to repeat the electoral mistakes of past years in Zamfara.
“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, no matter who it offends,” Shinkafi declared.
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He also called on President Bola Tinubu and APC leaders to take stronger action to address the security challenges in Zamfara, urging the deployment of 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.
In response to the attack, the Zamfara State chapter of the APC condemned the incident and pledged to take action against those responsible. The party issued a statement through its spokesperson, Yusuf Idris, calling the attack “unacceptable” and promising justice for Shinkafi.
“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 foreign to the values of our party,” the statement read.
The APC also warned its members to address grievances through the proper party channels, reiterating its commitment to reconciliation and discipline within the party.
“As a responsible party, we will ensure all members enjoy the privileges outlined by the constitution. The perpetrators of this indiscipline will be arrested and prosecuted,” Idris added.
