By Mohammed Abubakar Dutse
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Northwest Development Commission, (NWDC) Babangida Hussaini has called on the relevant security agencies to launch an investigation into the chaos that occured in Gagarawa local government area of Jigawa state on Sunday.
The lawmaker’s concerns is coming just as the state Governor Umar Namadi strongly condemns the use of the youths for political thuggery saying his administration would not sit idly and watch the future of tomorrow’s leaders destroyed.
Hussaini, who represents the Jigawa Northwest Senatorial District expressed outranged about the chaos during the fifth edition of the ongoing Jigawa state accountability forum on Sunday which turned rowdy leading to the tear-gassing of participants allegedly by the police.
Tagged, “Gwamnati da Jama’a’ literally meaning” Government and the People”, the government/civic engagement which took place at the Gagarawa local government secretariat in the Northwest Jigawa had in attendance police heavyweights from the area in particular and across the state.
The government and citizens engagement programne, which has taken place in more than four LGAs so far was aimed at to getting citizens’ inputs in running programme and government policies that would guide government to deliver in accordance with the people-centered project and directions.
The incident occurred when Nazifi Sani Gumel, the Federal lawmaker representing Gumel/ Gagarawa,/Maigatari/ Sule-Tankarkar Federal Constituency, arrived with his supporters following the arrival of the state governor, Umar Namadi to the venue.
Unable to control the crowd that surged into the highly restricted venue the police started to shoot tear gass canisters to disperse the crowd.
In the melee that followed ,the lawmaker was caught in the incident so much that he almost fainted, but was resuscitated by his supporters who started fanning him for almost 10 minutes before he joined the main event.
Reacting Sen. Husaini, who apologized to the governor for the embarrassment, however, called for a thorough investigation so that the sponsors or those behind the unruly behaviours of the youths should be brought to book to serve as a deterrent to others.
His words, “Let me formally tender an apology to His Excellency for what has just happened here today. I can assure you that this is not the kind of training we received from our forebears in politics and definitely we do not tolerate this kind of misbehaviour from our youths.
The governor who was peeved by the action expressed displeasure warning that the occasion not a political campaign, saying it was intended to hear the people’s reaction to the
The police action has sparked outrage among APC supporters, with some questioning the rationale behind inviting them to the event if their presence was not needed
“We were officially invited to the event, but we were denied access to the venue,” said Sani Adamu, a prominent APC supporter.
“If you don’t want our presence, then why inviting people?” asked Aminu Suleiman, another APC supporter while shouting out of anger, shedding tears after inhaling the smoke of the tear gas.
Some supporters also expressed their confusion over the police action, saying they responded to the government call to attend the function but didn’t know that their presence was not needed.
“We don’t know that our presence is not needed. We were just following the government’s call,” said Lawan Muhammad.
Despite their affiliation with the ruling party, the police reportedly attempted to block their entry and dispersed the crowd using tear gas.
Several attendees, including prominent APC chieftains, were visibly distressed by the police action, which left some injured and many emotionally shaken.
“We were officially invited to the programme, only to be tear-gassed at the gate,” said Sani Adamu, a local party leader. “If our presence wasn’t needed, then why extend invitations in the first place?”
Another supporter, Aminu Suleiman, broke down in tears after inhaling the tear gas. “We answered the government’s call to participate, only to be treated like criminals,” he said.
Umaru Gagarawa an APC loyalist, described the police action as “unjustified and provocative,” insisting the crowd posed no threat. “There was no chaos until the police started firing tear gas.”
Speaking bitterly about the use of brute force by security agents, Gagarawa speaking to nobody in particular wondered why would the government invite people to its own and turn around to brutalize the same people.
He said “Today is Gujungu market day, people have left their businesses of buying and selling in the market to answer government’s call only for them to be so badly treated like animals it’s unfortunate.”
As at press time the police command was yet to react to the development.
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