BudgIT has condemned the assault on its community champion, Alhaji Sule Yaro and four other members of Dandin-Kowa community in Kano state on 25 August 2018.
The incident happened after a sensitisation programme initiated by Alhaji Sule Yaro to enlighten the community members on the budgetary provisions in their community.
Yaro who is a community champion of Tracka, a subsidiary of BudgIT, sought 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.
Yaro had encouraged his community members to engage their representatives at the National Assembly and monitor the completion budgeted projects.
However, on 25 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,” BudgIT said.
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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,” a source close to the incident said.
This is the second time BudgIT is reporting an attack on its community champion.
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,” BudgIT said.
