Gov. Bello Matawalle:

The Zamfara Government has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the situation whereby some pages of the Qur’an were found in the sewage in a primary school on Friday.

The discovery at Shattima Primary School, Gusau, led to the immediate closure of the school and the indefinite suspension of the teachers on the orders of the state Governor, Alhaji Bello Matawalle.

The governor, currently attending the Africa Investment Summit in the U.S., directed the Universal Basic Education Board to set up a committee to investigate the matter.

In a statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Bala Maru, in Gusau on Sunday, the government announced a 23-member committee, headed by Prof. Jafaru Makau

Other members of the committee are senior Islamic scholars, representatives of security agencies, relevant ministries and associations, including Nigeria Union of Journalists.

The government promised to reward anyone with useful information about those involved in the act with two million naira.

It urged members of the public, especially in Gusau, to report any sinister or suspicious movement in their surroundings to the nearest security agency for prompt action.

“The state government will not take it lightly with anyone found to have a hand in this ungodly act however highly placed such a person or persons may be in the society.

“Security agents from various security agencies have been deployed to monitor people’s movements and arrest anyone found attempting to abuse the holy book in any form.

“Similarly, the state government appeals to the citizenry to continue to pray for Allah’s intervention in exposing all those behind these acts of desecrating our Holy Book,’ the government said.