Post election violence in Gombe, Bauchi
Not less than 10
people have been killed while cars, houses and other valuables were
destroyed in the aftermath of the presidential polls in different parts
of Bauchi State. The violence also extended to Gombe State, as
supporters of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) protested
against what they said was the collusion between electoral officers and
the ruling PDP in the state to deny their party victory in the state.
Although attempts to burn the private home of the state governor,
Danjuma Goje was foiled, the protesters razed the home of the state
chairman of the PDP and those of his neighbours.
The mostly young
protesters are displeased that the PDP recorded about 32 percent of the
votes counted in the state and they blame the state government for this.
In Bauchi, the
campaign office of the Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda located on Ran
Road was completely burnt down while several vehicles belonging to PDP
agents were also burnt by the irate youth who blocked the main Ahmadu
Bello Way leading to the Sa’adu Zungur Model School which served as the
collation centre for the presidential election.
In Azare, angry
youth set the house of the Bauchi State chairman of the PDP, Ibrahim
Yaro-Yaro, on fire as well as the house of the Deputy National
Secretary of the party, Musa Babayo just as other structures belonging
to PDP members were torched.
Security cordon
In Misau, reports
have it that the family house of the secretary to the state government,
Ibrahim Dandija was torched by the youth while a youth corps member,
who was an electoral official in one of the polling centres, was beaten
at his station during the exercise and is now receiving treatment at an
undisclosed hospital in Bauchi.
In Alkaleri, the
youth unleashed terror on people, setting buildings and cars ablaze
just as the Chairman of Kirfi Local Government Council, Ibrahim
Galadima and that of Bauchi LGC, Sabo Abdullahi Mohammed were molested
while their vehicles were destroyed.
In Wuntin-Dada and
Guru Area of Bauchi metropolis, three people were killed by the youth
who questioned why the PDP won in some of the polling units in the
area, just as two more people were killed in the Kofar-Dumi area of the
Bauchi metropolis with pockets of houses and cars also torched in the
areas.
Armed soldiers as
well as anti-riot policemen have been deployed to strategic locations
in Bauchi to maintain peace. A police source said a number of the
protesters have been arrested by the State Police Command which,
however, has not made any public comments on the violence.
Calls to the
Commissioner of Police, John Abakasanga and the command’s spokesperson,
Mohammad Barau were not answered as at the time of going to press.
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