Suspected Thugs Attack Shehu Sani’s Office

The constituency office of Senator Shehu Sani was attacked yesterday by thugs while a meeting of his supporters was going on.

The office is located at number 1 Junction road, by Stadium roundabout Kaduna, Kaduna North Local Government Area of the state.

The thugs who went to the office with weapons including two locally made pistols, swords and machetes were said to have physically assaulted the 25 supporters and chased them out of the office after collecting their phones from them. It was gathered that they also destroyed items in the office.

Our correspondent learnt that two of the women at the meeting fell while running from the attackers and sustained serious injuries.

Special adviser to the senator, Suleiman Ahmed, who narrated what happened described it as a political assault, saying it was aimed at stopping “the growing popularity of the senator”.

He said: “They started on Friday. They laid siege on the senator’s family house on Friday before police came and dispatched them using teargas. On Saturday afternoon again, they attacked his constituency office around stadium roundabout. I was informed that the attackers, who were armed, stormed the office where some people were having a meeting and destroyed what they could and collected their phones”.

Senator Shehu Sani also confirmed the attack and accused an aide to the Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, of being behind it

He said: “I received a report that some heavily armed thugs raided and attacked by constituency office located at Stadium Roundabout by constitution Road Kaduna. They unleashed terror on my social media team who were meeting in the office. They also vandalized the office.

“Two days ago, attempt to burn down my family house in Alkalawa Road, Tudun Wada Kaduna by sponsored thugs was thwarted by vigilant residents and neighbours, which led to the brief deployment of policemen in the area.

Uba Sani, in a response denied any involvement and advised the senator to grow up, saying the state government could not descend so low as to indulge in what he was accusing it of.

He said Shehu Sani had reached the career limit that “chicanery and thuggery can facilitate”.

“It has become imperative to set the record straight. Everyone knows that it is Shehu Sani that has spent 18 months attacking the governor personally and opposing every government policy. The government has ignored his tantrums, while the party has acted to uphold discipline. Shehu Sani should keep the government out of his woes.

“We are beneficiaries of democracy and we champion an open society. We respect democratic values and will never resort to unconstitutional means of settling differences. He should be careful not to make wild and unsubstantiated claims,” he said.

The state’s Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Usman Aliyu, said the supporters of Senator Sani as far as he knows did not seek the permission or protection of the police before holding the meeting.

He declined comment on whether the men who attacked the office were armed but advised residents of Kaduna to be law abiding.

Senator Sani was recently suspended indefinitely by the ward chapter of the APC in the state, a move which he said was spearheaded by aides of the Kaduna State governor.