Confusion enveloped the political class in President Umaru Yar’adua’s home state of Katsina yesterday when a prominent member of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Tasiu Mashi, popularly known as Tasi Elder, collapsed and died during what was said to be a reconciliatory meeting in the state Police Commissioner’s office. Tasi Elder was a staunch supporter of the Katsina PDP’s Abuja Faction led by Agriculture Minister Abba Sayyadi Ruma, which is fighting to wrest control from Governor Ibrahim Shema in 2011 under the name of “Seven Point Agenda”.

State Police Commissioner Dan’azumi Doma told newsmen yesterday that Tasi Elder died during a reconciliatory meeting between him and some aggrieved members of the party in Mashi local government, following a bloody clash that occurred between the two factions last Saturday.  

CP Doma said in the course of the meeting in his office, Tasi Elder suddenly became motionless and was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Katsina where he was certified dead. According to the CP, the incident occurred while one of the complainants who also is the Mashi Local Government Council chairman, Alhaji Surajo Mashi, was making a submission. Present at the meeting were the PDP chairman in Mashi Local Government, Alhaji Badamasi Yellow, the state director of the SSS, the Commanding Officer of the Nigeria Army’s 35 Motorised Battalion, Katsina as well as several top police officers.  

Doma said the meeting was called to discuss the clashes that occurred last Saturday between supporters of the chairman, who is loyal to Governor Shema’s Tazarce PDP faction, and those of Tasi Elder, who is loyal to the Abuja Faction.

Our correspondent who was in Mashi gathered that last Saturday’s fracas ensued when Tasi Elder mobilised hundreds of his supporters to line up the road and stage a grand welcome for Agriculture Minister Ruma, who was on his way from Katsina to Daura to represent President Umaru Yar’adua at the unbanning of Court of Appeal President Justice Umaru Abdullahi as the Walin Hausa. However, Governor Shema’s supporters in Mashi, led by the council and party chairmen as well as House of Reps member Salisu Majigiri, mobilised their own supporters to welcome the governor. In the ensuing fracas, three people were seriously injured.

When our correspondent visited Federal Medical Centre yesterday, a senior nurse who pleaded anonymity told him that Tasi Elder was already dead when he was brought to the hospital. She said doctor on duty confirmed him dead, after which he was taken to the morgue.  

Police commissioner Doma told reporters that an inquest will be undertaken to ascertain the cause of his death, and promised to keep reporters posted over any developments.

However, some members of Ruma’s Abuja faction told Daily Trust last night that a day after Saturday’s clashes, the police commissioner ordered the Divisional Police Officer [DPO] in Mashi to bring Tasi Elder to police headquarters in Katsina. They said hundreds of supporters accompanied him to Katsina, but that all of them were kept out and only Tasi was taken to the commissioner’s office. They said “all the other officials at the so-called reconciliatory meeting” were Shema faction members.

According to the source, who asked for anonymity, about 20 minutes before he died, Tasi Elder emerged from the police commissioner’s office and told his men who were stationed outside to go and get for him a lawyer. It was a sign, they said, that he was actually detained by the police, but that by the time the lawyer arrived, Tasi was dead. They questioned the police boss’ account and insisted on a thorough investigation. The source also alleged that soon after Tasi died yesterday, Governor Shema despatched Mobile Policemen to Mashi town and immediately left for Abuja.

Malam Abdullahi Shuaibu, a member of the deceased man’s family, who spoke to our correspondent in Katsina, called on the government to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the cause of their father’s death.

He said his father had no known ailment and was hale and hearty when he reported himself to the police. Shuaibu said the family cannot but surrender to the will of God and continue to pray for the repose of his soul.

The late Tasi Elder was the PDP chairman in Mashi Local Government until he was removed and replaced by the current chairman, a Shema loyalist.