...says allegations baseless
The Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit has quizzed the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the last elections in Zamfara State, Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi over alleged libelous WhatsApp comments against the most ranking kingmaker in Sokoto, Alhaji Hassan Ahmad Danbaba (Magajin Garin Sokoto).
The kingmaker alleged that Shinkafi accused him of not remitting about N900million belonging to Zamfara State and circulated it widely on WhatsApp.
He alleged that the ex-governorship candidate claimed that the past administration of ex-Governor Abdulaziz Yari entered into a fraudulent public private partnership (PPP)with him on Stonehedge Hotel (formerly Halal Hotel) owned by Zamfara State Government.
It was the first case on WhatsApp comments being tested in the police and the court in the country.
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Shinkafi however said the police have found out that the allegations against him were baseless.
According to findings, the police summoned Shinkafi 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.
Shinkafi, who is the interim chairman, Zamfara State Government Assets Recovery Committee, appeared before the team.
A police source said: “Following a formal complaint by the kingmaker on Shinkafi’s libelous comments on WhatsApp, we invited him for interaction.
“He has made a statement which our detectives are investigating further. If there is a prima facie case against Shinkafi, the law will take its course.
“So far, I can only confirm that we interrogated the ex-governorship candidate. We will however be fair to the complainant and the defendant.”
When one of our correspondents spoke with Shinkafi yesterday, he said: “I honoured the police invitation on October 21, 2019 where the allegations were found baseless.
“I am at an embassy, I will contact you later.”
Shinkafi, who later sent a WhatsApp message added: “On the invitation letter served on me is part of police constitutional duties to carry out investigations on the complaints brought before IGP office.
“It is a merely an invitation letter, it is not synonymous with a warrant of arrest. No shaking, no vibration.”
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.
Danbaba, therefore, sued Sani Shinkafi for criminal defamation and assassination of character.
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