The Zamfara State Government has approved the reinstatement of Aliyu Marafa, the suspended emir of Yandoto emirate who was asked to step aside following a public outcry after he appointed a notorious terrorist, Ado Aleru, the Sarkin Fulanin Yandoto.
PREMIUM TIMES had last July exclusively reported the plan by the emirate to honour Aleru, who leads hundreds of fighters to terrorize residents and motorists in Zamfara and other north-west states. The emirate council had said Aleru would be turbaned as part of efforts to bring peace to the area.
He was eventually turbaned after which the state government, claiming it was not consulted, suspended the emir.
On Sunday, in a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Kabiru Balarabe, the government said it took the decision to reinstate the emir based on the recommendations of the panel constituted to investigate the circumstances leading to the event.
He said the committee gathered that what the emirate council did was to forestall attacks and other terror activities.
“The committee found no evidence of any ill motive or collaboration between the Emir and the bandit.
“Based on the findings of the committee, the traditional title was conferred on the repentant bandit as part of peace-building efforts between the repentant bandit and banditry-affected communities in Tsafe and Gusau Local Government Areas, which include Yandoto town,” the SSG said in the statement.
Balarabe said the reinstatement takes immediate effect.
Aleru is one of the leaders of terror groups in north-west Nigeria.
He is known to operate in Tsafe local government of Zamfara and Faskari in neighbouring Katsina State.
His armed group is believed to be responsible for the recent abduction of 85 residents of the Wanzamai community.
Zamfara, like other states in north-west Nigeria, has witnessed several attacks by terror groups, locally called bandits.
Thousands of people have been killed or kidnapped by the groups in the past year.
