A senior member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State, Umar Moriki, was shot dead early Saturday by gunmen believed to be armed bandits along the Gusau–Tsafe highway.
Sources confirmed that Moriki was travelling from Gusau to Kaduna when armed men ambushed his vehicle near Fegi village in the Tsafe Local Government Area. He was fatally shot at the scene.
The Zamfara APC has expressed deep shock over the killing, describing it as a painful loss to both the party and the state. According to the party’s Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Idris, Moriki had only just attended a stakeholders’ meeting hosted by the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, before setting out on the journey that claimed his life.
Moriki was well-known in Zamfara’s political landscape. Over the years, he served as Vice Chairman of Zurmi Local Government Area, Director General of a state institution, and Special Adviser on Rural Electrification. He also contested the Zurmi/Shinkafi House of Representatives seat in the 2023 general elections.
He died at 62 and is survived by three wives and many children. The party described him as a loyal member, a dedicated public servant and a man committed to humanitarian causes and community development.
Authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the incident, and investigations are expected to follow as insecurity continues to trouble parts of the state.