Umar Moriki, a prominent chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State, was killed on Saturday by gunmen suspected to be bandits. The attack occurred along the Gusau-Tsafe highway, near Fegi village in the Tsafe Local Government Area, while Moriki was traveling to Kaduna State.
The Zamfara APC confirmed the killing, stating that the late politician had just attended a stakeholders’ meeting hosted by the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle.
Umar Moriki, 62, was a dedicated member of the APC and had held various political positions, including Vice Chairman of Zurmi Local Government Area, Director-General of a state agency, and Special Adviser on Rural Electrification. He had also contested the Zurmi/Shinkafi House of Representatives seat in the 2023 elections. He is survived by three wives and several children.
The attack happened on the notorious Gusau-Tsafe highway, one of the routes frequently targeted by bandits for ambushes, kidnappings, and killings.
The Zamfara APC Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Idris, issued a statement confirming the loss;
His death is a great loss to our party and to Zamfara State. Moriki was a dedicated party man who devoted his life to public service and humanitarian support
Zamfara State remains an epicenter of banditry in northwestern Nigeria. This attack follows an earlier October incident where five police officers and three Community Protection Guards were killed in a similar ambush on the Gusau-Funtua road in the same Tsafe Local Government Area.
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