The Zamfara House of Assembly has suspended lawmakers Yusuf Muhammed and Ibrahim T. Tukur Bakura for having links to various bandit groups in the state.

Yusuf Alhassan Kanoma, representing Maru North, had raised a motion on the allegation. 

Mr Kanoma said the two lawmakers had rejoiced over the kidnapping of the speaker’s late father, adding that they were also involved in the kidnapping of Muhammad Ahmad, a member of the assembly representing Shinkafi constituency.

The speaker approved the outright suspension of the two members in his ruling on the subject, and asked the chairman of the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges, Kabiru Hashimu Dansadau, to investigate the allegations and report back to plenary.

The assembly announced on Tuesday that the lawmakers would remain suspended pending the outcome of investigations into the allegations that have been levelled against them.

In a statement by the assembly’s spokesperson, Mustapha Jafaru Kaura, the lawmakers were asked to “appear before the House Committee on ethics and privileges in conjunction with security agencies that are assigned by law to investigate them.”

The House spokesperson said “these are part of the resolutions reached just now at the House plenary presided over by the speaker of the House Rt Hon Nasiru Mu’azu Magarya under matters of urgent public importance.”