A high-profile visit by Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal to launch major infrastructure projects descended into chaos on Wednesday after an angry crowd in Dansadau town attacked a serving member of the State House of Assembly, accusing him of neglect and poor representation.
The lawmaker, Kabiru Mikailu, who represents Maru South Constituency, was reportedly assaulted by residents while accompanying the governor to Dansadau in Maru Local Government Area. Witnesses said simmering tensions boiled over suddenly as members of the crowd confronted the legislator, forcing security operatives to step in to avert further violence.
Residents alleged that the attack was driven by long-standing grievances over what they described as Mikailu’s prolonged absence from the constituency since his election. Protesters accused him of failing to identify with the community during critical periods, particularly amid repeated bandit attacks that have left many families displaced and impoverished.
Some locals claimed the legislator neither participated in Sallah celebrations in Dansadau nor visited victims of insecurity, actions they interpreted as abandonment at a time of deep communal distress.
The situation reportedly turned volatile as the crowd closed in on the lawmaker, prompting swift intervention by security personnel attached to the governor’s entourage, who restored order and escorted him away from the scene.
The incident occurred during Governor Lawal’s visit to flag off the reconstruction of the 90-kilometre Dansadau–Gusau road, a project seen as vital to improving security, boosting trade and easing movement across the region. The governor also announced the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Dansadau General Hospital and approved the installation of solar-powered electricity to improve living conditions in the community.
Addressing residents, Governor Lawal reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to tackling insecurity, rebuilding critical infrastructure and improving the welfare of communities ravaged by banditry across Zamfara State.
In recognition of his efforts, the Emir of Dansadau, Alhaji Garba Muhammad, turbaned the governor and conferred on him the traditional title of Garkuwan Dansadau, meaning “Shield of Dansadau”.
While the governor’s visit signalled renewed government attention to the troubled area, the attack on the legislator starkly exposed deep-seated frustrations among residents and underscored growing demands for visible, grassroots engagement by elected representatives in communities battered by insecurity.
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