By Zagazola Makama
ZARIA (CONVERSEER) – A youth leader, Alhaji Halliru Adamu Aliyu, popularly known as Wali, has been arrested in Zaria after leading a peaceful protest to the family residence of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajuddeen Abbas over alleged neglect of youths in his constituency.
Wali, who led several young people to the Speaker’s family house, accused the lawmaker of marginalising his constituents in federal job opportunities and using the youths merely as political tools during election campaigns.
In a video obtained by Zagazola, the youth leader lamented that despite years of loyalty and service during political campaigns, no single youth from the Speaker’s community has been employed in any federal establishment.
“We were the ones he gave T-shirts and caps to during campaigns. We followed him, obeyed his instructions, and did everything for him. But today, federal employment opportunities are being shared across the country, and not a single youth from his own community has benefited,” Wali said.
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He further alleged that while employment slots were reportedly allocated to institutions such as the National Institute of Leather and Science Technology (NILEST), Kaduna Polytechnic, and the Nigeria Police, no one from the Speaker’s community was considered.
“Most of us he used during his political campaigns are not illiterate. We have degrees and diplomas. Yet, we are abandoned,” he said.
Sources told Zagazola that the protest and the viral video angered the Speaker, who allegedly ordered the arrest of Wali, leading to his detention at the Zaria Police Command.
Residents expressed outrage over what they described as the continued use of the police to silence critics and suppress legitimate demands for accountability.
Several other youths had reportedly been arrested in the past for criticising the Speaker over alleged poor representation and substandard constituency projects.
Findings by Zagazola revealed that some projects executed under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within Zaria Federal Constituency were either poorly executed or already deteriorating, despite being awarded at huge costs running into billions of naira.
Civil society groups and youth associations in Zaria have since called for Wali’s immediate release and urged the Speaker to embrace dialogue and transparency rather than repression of dissenting voices.
The Speaker is yet to release a statement on this matter.
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Source: Zagazola Makama
