Yemisi Izuora
BudgIT has condemned the assault on its Community champion, Alhaji Sule Yaro and four other members of Dandin-Kowa community in Kano State.
The incident which took place on the 25th of August 2018 in Dandi Kowa community, happened after a sensitisation programme initiated by Alhaji Sule Yaro to enlighten the community members on the budgetary provisions in their community.
The Community Champion is an initiative of Tracka, a subsidiary of BudgIT, which seeks to bridge the gap between citizens and the government by entrenching civic education among the rural and the urban citizens to promote knowledge to demand accountability and transparency from elected public officials, as well as to encourage active participation in civil exercise.
Alhaji Sule Yaro, a Tracka Community Champion, had encouraged his community members to engage their representatives at the National Assembly and monitor the completion budgeted projects. However, on the 25th August 2018, Hon Ado Hassan allegedly invaded the community with hired thugs to beat up members of the community who have dared to engage him on the projects he nominated. Houses and cars belonging to these people were also allegedly burnt down by the unknown thugs.
Credible information available to BudgIT identified Honourable Ado Alhassan Garba of Kano State as the mastermind of this barbaric act which carried out in Dandi-Kowa community. This act led to the displacement of over five families and loss of their properties. As a result of this attack, Alhaji Sule Yaro has fled his home with his family.
It is the second time BudgIT is reporting a case such as this; the first being the case of Moses Motoni, who was unlawfully arrested in Kaduna and detained in Abuja in 2017. The violent response of lawmakers to citizens questions around the implementation of public projects has become a trend.
BudgIT reaffirms its position on this issue; we have not at any point shared false information with members of the public to incite them against their representatives.
By issuing this statement, we want the Federal Government, the Inspector General of Police, the international community and the general public to be aware that the life our Tracking officers and Community Champions like Alhaji Yaro Sule is under threat for exercising their civic rights and duties.
We kindly call on the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and the Kano State Commissioner of Police, Mr Rabiu Yusuf to urgently investigate this issue and bring the perpetrators to book.