The Zamfara State Government has denied reports that Deputy Governor Mani Malam Mumini was trapped by angry youths during a visit to Bukkuyum Local Government Area following a recent bandit attack.

Reports had claimed that the deputy governor encountered hostility on Sunday when he visited the area to sympathise with residents affected by the attack.

The youths were reportedly said to have barricaded the entrance to the town while chanting “Bamayi,” a Hausa expression meaning “We don’t want you,” in protest against what they described as the government’s failure to protect them from persistent bandit attacks.

The situation was said to have heightened tensions, forcing the deputy governor and his security team to seek cover amid fears of a possible attack.

However, the state government dismissed the reports, insisting that the deputy governor completed his visit without incident.

The spokesman for Governor Dauda Lawal, Suleiman Bala Idris, told Leadership that the claims were untrue.

He said Mumini successfully visited Bukkuyum and distributed relief materials to residents affected by insecurity.

The government’s denial comes amid continuing concerns over banditry and attacks on communities in Zamfara State, where residents have repeatedly called for stronger security measures.

Meanwhile, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has criticised Governor Lawal over his political movement from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking during a media parley on Tuesday, Wike claimed that Lawal left the PDP after failing to withstand his influence within the party.

“Ask the governor of Zamfara State. When he was in PDP, I chased him away. He had money. They couldn’t withstand me,” Wike said.

The minister further alleged that Lawal had joined the APC despite previously accusing him of undermining the PDP to favour the ruling party.

“And I did him a favour. He now came to APC. Meanwhile, this was one of the governors who said I was killing the PDP for APC. The same person now run to APC,” he stated.