Governor Nasiru Ahmed El-Rufai of Kaduna state has suspended the Wazirin Zazzau, Alhaji Ibrahim Aminu for allegedly taking huge bribe and indulging in abuse of office.
Aminu’s suspension was reportedly conveyed to him via a letter co-signed by the permanent secretaries of the ministry of local government Musa Adamu and his counterpart of ministry of chieftaincy affairs, Jafaru Sani.
Sources reveal that Waziri was accused of collecting heavy gratification from one of the major contenders of the Zazzau Emirate Council and that the government reportedly have evidence to justify the allegations against him.
It was gathered that several complaints of abuse of office and sundry improprieties were allegedly perpetrated by the Waziri without knowledge of the late emir of Zazzau.
Wazirin Zazzau is a kingmaker and the Chairman of the kingmakers of Zazzau Emirate.
The other four kingmakers ars; Limamin Gari – Alhaji Dalhatu Kasim, Limamin Kona – Muhammad Aliyu, Makama Karami – Alhaji Muhammad Abbas, and Fagacin Zazzau – Alhaji Umar Muhammad.
Waziri chaired the selection process of the new Emir of Zazzau. Waziri, Limamin Kona, and Limamin Jumma’a voted for Iyan Zazzau, while Fagaci voted for Yarima and Makama Karami for Turaki.
However, Governor El-Rufai refused to consider the selection and appointed Ambassador Bamalli, despite not being considered by the kingmakers. The wrongful appointment has led to an expected lawsuit, and the pre-trial hearing would begin on 11 December 2020 at the Kaduna State High Court.
The lawsuit included eleven defendants, with the five kingmakers. The kingmakers have taken their independent lawyers where they all signed a Witness Statement on Oath.
It is understood that the new Emir and the State Government has been threatening the kingmakers to change their lawyers, for the State Attorney, so that they can change the signed Statement of Oath.
The threats by the Emir and the state government, are what led to the letter of query on 12 November 2020.
So far, one kingmaker has accepted to take the State Attorney. The High Court of Justice in Dogarawa was also ransacked over the weekend, but nothing was taken as all the documents were kept away from the court.
It is not yet clear what will be done with the rest of the three kingmakers but credible sources disclosed that it is highly unlikely that the Waziri would ever return to his position and that he might be prosecuted.
Efforts to get the response of the suspended Waziri was unsuccessful as several calls to his mobile number went unanswered.