Security operatives
in Bauchi State have arrested four people suspected to be leaders. They
were alledged used as political thugs including an aide to the State
Governor after they were said to have been involved in several clashes
between rival political parties in the state.
It was gathered
that the suspects are members of both the ruling Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP )and the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the
state and have been involved in most of the political clashes across
the state, particularly since the commencement of party rallies.
Those arrested by
the operatives are Hussein Aliyu (aka Black), Yusuf Aliyu (Lati Boka)
of the PDP, as well as Salau Adamu, alias Duguja, and Ibrahim Suleiman
(alias Iro Sarkin Dawaki) of the ACN.
A source in the
office of the SSS in Bauchi, revealed that the four persons were
arrested following information made available to the security outfit,
as a result of the activities of the political thugs in recent time,
which has led to the loss of innocent lives and properties worth
millions of naira.
The activities of
the alleged thugs became more pronounced in the last two months after
the parties’ primaries when aggrieved politicians decamped from their
parties to others, after losing out of the race in their former
parties. The problem, investigations revealed, has been mainly between
supporters of ruling PDP and the opposition ACN.
The source further
revealed that the political violence which broke out in Warji Local
Government Area last weekend between ACN and PDP in which two people
lost their lives while several sustained injuries, and houses and cars
burnt down, is believed to have been carried out by the suspects.
It was also
gathered, that the suspects will be charged to court very soon in order
to serve as a deterrent to other political thugs in the state because,
according to the source, “there will be no sacred cow here in Bauchi.
Anyone caught to be causing chaos, in any part of the state, will be
arrested and prosecuted in line with the provisions of the law, no
matter highly placed he or she might be.”
Yuguda warns against thuggery
Meanwhile,
disturbed by several reports on the activities of political miscreants
in the state, the state governor, Isa Yuguda has vowed to deal
decisively with anyone caught over hooliganism in the state.
This was contained
in a statement signed by the Special Senior Adviser Media to Yuguda,
Sanusi Mohammed in Bauchi at the weekend.
According to the
statement, “it has come to the notice of the government that some
politicians are strategizing on how to use thugs on election days to
disrupt the conduct of the elections and throw the state into confusion
for selfish reasons”.
The statement
further said that the various security agencies in the state have been
adequately briefed on the recent discovery and have been advised to act
decisively in the interest of peace.
“Bauchi State has
been known to be an epitome of peace and equity and it shall remain so
no matter the amount of threat from some few selfish politicians”.
“Even though the state governor has created a level playing ground
for the success of the elections does not mean the situation should be
abused to ferment trouble for selfish interests,” the statement added.
