Two working journalists in Gombe State were on Tuesday arrested and later released by men of the State Police Command while trying to cover the planned demolition of the campaign office of the state gubernatorial candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Muhammad Barde.
The journalists – Chika Udenkwo of AIT, and Joseph Atabo, a photojournalist – were arrested while attempting to film the charged location adjacent to the Presidential Lodge of the Government.
Eyewitnesses reported that Udenkwo was beaten by irate youths suspected to be Yan Kalare political thugs before his identity was disclosed by some of his colleagues at the scene.
The Kalare thugs were sighted brandishing dangerous weapons around Liberty junction, while heavily armed Special Weapon Armed Tactics (SWAT) officers were seen cordoning off the two points from the Government House and into the Government Reserved Area GRA.
Earlier, officials of Gombe State Urban Planning and Development Authority (GOSUPDA), had invited journalists for a briefing at about 10:30 am the same time set for them to embark on the demolition of some structures within Gombe metropolis especially that of Muhammad Barde, which had become a subject of litigation.
However, the officials at the demolition exercise were repelled by another set of police team purportedly from the Special Protection Unit provided by the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba upon request of the PDP candidate.
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When contacted about the arrest of the journalists, Commissioner of Police Ishola Babaita, said he was aware of it but said that the journalists have been released after meeting with the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state.
• Govt says building unauthorised, capable of compromising security
Meanwhile, GOSUPDA has explained that the demolition of an illegal structure belonging to Gombe Good Leadership Association was carried out in the spirit of the ongoing reclamation of the development master-plan and maintaining the prevailing peace and tranquillity the state enjoys.
The Executive Chairman of GOSUPDA, Group Captain Peter Bilal (Rtd) stated this while addressing newsmen shortly after supervising the demolition exercise of an unauthorized structure which was clandestinely converted into a campaign office of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) governorship candidate in Gombe State, Mohammed Jibrin Barde.
He said that the demolition exercise became necessary because the building in question not only contravened some sections of the land use act Decree of 1978, urban and regional planning and development board law of 2001 and other development laws of the State but turned into the buzzing political arena in a location directly opposite the Presidential Lodge within the Government House vicinity and area clearly marked for residential and Government offices.
He stressed that such is capable of compromising security if allowed to operate as a political office.
He recalled that “on the 29th of December, 2021 an organisation, Gombe Good Leadership Association applied and secured an approval for the erection of a temporary structure for the conduct of its affairs but that activities at the site took a different turn when the State Urban Planning Development Authority noticed the construction of a permanent building in contravention to the earlier approval.”
He added that “the authority in several notices, had asked the association to come forward to regularise their documents but they didn’t.
“It was later claimed that one Jibrin Barde, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party was given the said property, however, if that happened as claimed, the new owner has the responsibility to effect a change of ownership before embarking on any construction. The right to own and enjoy possession of the property has corresponding obligations that must be complied with,” the development authority explained.
Group Captain Bilal further said that the authority in the discharge of its statutory responsibilities as enshrined in section 27 of the Gombe State Urban Planning and Development 2011, approached the construction site and served it with stop and demolition notices.
He said that despite a partial demolition of the structure to allow the owners of the building to do a controlled demolition, illegal construction work continued through the erection of billboards belonging to the PDP gubernatorial candidate in the state which was an indication that the site has been converted to a party office.
According to him, “the location of the Gombe Good Leadership Association’s office which was clandestinely converted to the PDP gubernatorial candidate state campaign office does not only violate the town planning laws of the state but seats directly opposite the Presidential Lodge and other government establishments and security wise such is not permitted”.
The Executive Chairman of GOSUPDA maintained that the administration of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya is committed to the entrenchment of law and order in the state and will not fold its hands and watch the actions of individuals or groups that are capable of disturbing the peace of the State.
He explained that GOSUPDA’s work and operations are not based on directive from any political party or figure, but in line with the provisions of its established laws as contained in a statement by Ismaila Uba Misilli, Director-General, (Press Affairs), Government House, Gombe.
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