ABUJA, Nigeria – Abdulaziz Yari, a former governor of Zamfara State and current senator representing Zamfara West, has been released from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), according to close sources and allies.
The announcement was made early Sunday, July 9, 2023, by Senator Sumaila Kawu, the lawmaker representing Kano South, who is a close ally of Yari. Kawu declared Yari’s release via a post on his Facebook page.
“God the owner of the generation, Senator Yari is free, we thank God, the leader that has no end,” wrote Kawu.
According to an anonymous source close to Yari, the senator was taken into DSS custody following an urgent call from the director-general, Yusuf Bichi.
Yari was said to be at the DSS headquarters when the decision was made to detain him.
Yari’s detention appears to be due to his ambitions for the Senate leadership position, allegedly ignoring calls from President Bola Tinubu during the Senate leadership battle.
“Yari was asked why he ignored the President’s phone calls during the Senate leadership battle,” an anonymous official revealed.
Yari argued that he had every right to contest for the position and decisions about his political career moves should not come from the President.
Sources say that Yari arrived at the DSS headquarters following Bichi’s call. He was asked to wait for Bichi, who was reportedly out, but was detained for the day by armed DSS agents. He was later informed at about 10:00 p.m. on Thursday that he would not be going home.
The arrest comes weeks after Yari secured a federal court directive that prevented the DSS, EFCC, and other law enforcement agencies from arresting him on corruption charges. Despite the restraining order, officials say that investigations into the matter will continue.
Yari’s release comes amidst a string of recent high-profile detentions under President Tinubu, including the former head of the federal anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, and the former Central Bank governor, Godwin Emefiele, both of whom have been held without charges.
Yari’s release is seen as a significant development in an increasingly tense political landscape, as accusations of political interference and irregularities continue to challenge the current administration. The full implications of Yari’s detention and subsequent release for his political career and for the broader Nigerian political landscape remain to be seen.
