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Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit has quizzed the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in 2019 elections in Zamfara State, Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, over alleged criminal defamation against Magajin Garin Sokoto, Alhaji Hassan Ahmad Danbaba.
The politician was quizzed at the Force Headquarters, Abuja on Tuesday, and subsequently detained at the Maitama Police Station.
Shinkafi was earlier summoned by the police via a letter dated October 16, 2019, and signed by the Head of IGP Monitoring Unit, Force Headquarters, Abuja, Assistant Commissioner of Police A.A. Elleman.
The police summoned Shinkafi, who is the interim chairman, Zamfara State Government Assets Recovery Committee, to appear before the IGP monitoring unit on Monday, October 21, 2019 by 10am.
The letter read thus: This office is investigating a case of criminal defamation and publication of injurious falsehood reported to the Inspector General of Police in which your name featured.
“In view of the above, you are kindly requested to to (sic) interview the undersigned, through SP Usman Garba on Monday 21st October, 2019 by 1000hrs to shed more light on the allegations.
“Your cooperation on this regard would be highly appreciated, please.”
Shinkafi, had on September 30, 2019, wrote an open letter claiming that Magajin Garin Sokoto had “converted into personal use” the Zamfara Halal Hotel, Abuja.
He also accused the immediate past Governor of Zamfara state Abdulaziz Yari of “fraudulently” handing over the property to Alhaji Hassan Danbaba; and also claiming that the hotel had generated a net revenue of N950, 000,000 in eight years “without remitting a dime to the Zamfara state government.”
Magajin Garin Sokoto, however, denied these allegations, saying the hotel was leased to his company for 25 years, and it was leased to him in 2009 during the tenure of Governor Mahmuda Aliyu Shinkafi, almost three years before Yari became governor, among others.
Alhaji Danbaba, therefore, reported Shinkafi to the police over criminal defamation and assassination of character.
It was learnt that Shinkafi arrived the force headquarters around noon on Tuesday, where the interrogation began, according to police sources at the headquarters.
He was subsequently detained at the Maitama police division until 10pm same day. Shinkafi was released on bail after frantic efforts by a former Inspector-General of Police from Zamfara state.
The police said they will charge Shinkafi to court when investigations are concluded.
