Emirs attacked, houses burnt by rampaging youths in Bauchi

HOUSES and other properties worth millions of naira were burnt down on Friday by irate youths in Bogoro, headquarters of Bogoro Local Government Area of Bauchi State, during the 21st anniversary of the death of the leader of the Sayawa Nation, Baba Peter Gonto. 

The youths also stormed venue of the main event at Government Day Secondary School, Bogoro, where the set the stage and other things used for the programme on fire after the programme ended. 

The arsonists, in their numbers, had earlier waylaid the convoys of the Emirs of Bauchi and Dass on the way to Bogoro and damaged the official car of the Emir of Dass as well as other cars in the convoy, forcing them to make a sudden U-turn. 

The state governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, who was expected to be the special guest of honour at the event, did not show up for security reasons. 

Saturday Tribune correspondent, who was among journalists invited to cover the event, could not gain access to Bogoro as the rampaging youths blocked all roads that lead to the town and was forced to turn around upon receiving information that a violent protest was going on at Bogoro Junction. 

It was gathered that the protest was due to the alleged refusal of the organisers of the event to include some prominent sons and daughters of the area in the planning and final execution of the programme. 

A letter reportedly written to the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, by a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, alerting to a possible breach of the peace in the area should the event allowed hold was circulated on social media. 

Dogara, who is currently the member representing Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, had requested that the organisers be made to sign an undertaking that should anything happen, they should be held responsible. 

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Umar Mamman Sanda, has ordered investigations into the breakdown of law and order in Bogoro and Tafawa Balewa local government areas. 

The commissioner, according to a statement issued late Friday by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Wakili Ahmed, appealed for calm and advised the people not to take the law into their hands. 

The concert preceding the event was held on Thursday at the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) in Mwari, the village of the late Baba Peter Gonto. 

The event featured popular gospel artists led by Panam Percy Paul who thrilled the audience. 

A book written about the late Gonto was launched and presented to the general public on Friday but it ended abruptly when the irate youths attacked the venue.

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