From Amos Tauna, Kaduna

A northern-based civic group, the Concerned Northern Forum (CNF), has raised the alarm over what it describes as the deliberate delay by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate former Zamfara State governor, Bello Matawalle, despite multiple petitions and earlier commitments by the agency.

Speaking at a press conference in Kaduna on Monday, CNF Chairman, Alhaji Aliyu Muhammad Sani, said the EFCC’s inaction was “raising serious questions” about its independence and willingness to go after powerful individuals.

According to him, the group alongside other civil society bodies, had submitted petitions as far back as May and September 2024, detailing how Matawalle allegedly mismanaged a colossal  amount of money in state funds during his tenure from 2019 to 2023.

“We have seen the EFCC take bold steps against other former governors and ministers. So we are asking: why the silence in this case? Who is shielding Matawalle from investigation?” Sani queried.

The CNF pointed to official financial data and loan records to back its claims, insisting that the former governor should be made to explain how federal allocations and borrowed funds running into hundreds of billions were utilised.

Sani stated that the EFCC itself, in a statement issued in May 18, 2023, had confirmed through its then Director, Media  and Public Affairs, Osita Nwajah, said that EFCC is investigating Matawalle over allegations of monumental corruption  award of plantom vontracts and diversion of over N70 billion, lamenting that more than a year later, nothing concrete had come out of that investigation.

The Zamfara State Lawyer Forum has endorsed the Nigerian House of Representatives’ decision to summon Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal and leaders of the state’s House of Assembly, amid a deepening crisis within the legislature and escalating insecurity across the northwestern state.

The forum, a prominent legal advocacy group, described the summons as a constitutionally valid exercise of legislative oversight, citing Sections 88 and 89 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, which empower the National Assembly to investigate matters of public interest and summon relevant officials.

Barrister Aisha Muhammed, the forum’s chairperson, said in a statement on Sunday that the House’s action was “legally valid, constitutionally supported, and deeply necessary” to uphold democratic governance and the rule of law.

She argued that Governor Lawal and state assembly leaders must answer questions regarding the suspension of seven elected assembly members and the controversial declaration of a lawmaker’s seat vacant—actions she said raised “grave constitutional questions” and potentially breached democratic norms.

“Governors and assembly leaders must not invoke immunity as a shield against legitimate oversight,” Muhammed said, referencing Section 308 of the Constitution, which grants immunity from judicial processes but does not exempt officials from non-coercive legislative inquiries.

“Accountability is the lifeblood of constitutional democracy. No public office holder, no matter how highly placed, is above the people’s right to transparency.”

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions issued the summons on Friday, directing Governor Lawal, his Benue counterpart Hyacinth Alia, and their respective state assembly leaders to appear before it on 8 May.

The move follows a petition by the Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law, a civil rights group, highlighting worsening insecurity and legislative dysfunction in both states.

Zamfara has been plagued by rampant banditry, with recent attacks claiming dozens of lives, including six community protection guards and four vigilantes in Anka Local Government Area on 22 March, and 20 gold miners in Maru Local Government Area on 24 April.

The state’s legislative crisis, marked by factionalism and alleged executive interference, has further compounded governance challenges.

Muhammed criticised Governor Lawal’s apparent acquiescence to the assembly’s controversial actions, calling for “legal and moral scrutiny”.

She stressed that the National Assembly’s intervention was not only lawful but obligatory to preserve constitutional order and address public grievances.

“The key question is not whether the Governor or the Speaker can be summoned, but [what] they have [to say in response to] questions to answer,” she said.

Armed men suspected to be bandits launched a deadly attack on Saturday night, killing several vigilante members and civilians in a coordinated assault on three villages in Gwana District, Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

The Nation gathered that the affected communities—Mansur, Digare, Sabuwar Sara, and Yalo—were ambushed while residents were asleep.

Most of the victims were members of local vigilante groups from Gwana and Duguri Districts, who had been safeguarding their communities from repeated attacks along the volatile borders of Gombe, Plateau, and Taraba States.

Sources reported that the assailants, heavily armed and ruthless, opened fire indiscriminately, catching the villages off guard in the middle of the night.

This latest attack is part of a troubling pattern of violence in the region, which has included killings, cattle rustling, and growing insecurity.

It has drawn the attention of Governor Bala Mohammed and top security officials, who have visited the area for assessments.

The Bauchi State Police Command confirmed the incident but has yet to provide an official death toll.

Police Commissioner Sani-Omolori Aliyu, during a visit to the affected areas, described the assault as “utterly reprehensible” and a significant threat to public safety.

He ordered the immediate deployment of tactical teams and vowed a sustained manhunt for the attackers.

Police spokesperson Ahmed Wakil, in a statement on Monday, said the ambush occurred during a routine patrol by local hunters along the Bauchi–Plateau forest corridor.

The confrontation resulted in casualties on both sides, including fleeing civilians and community defenders.