Estimated reading time: 8 minute(s)
Adejoke Adeniyi
The Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya has ordered for the immediate establishment of a police outpost following the bandits’ attack on farmlands which claimed three lives In the Amtawalam and Pobawure communities of Billiri local government area of the State.
The Governor gave the order during his visit to the affected farmlands and families of victims on Friday.
Yahya who described the incident as disheartening, disclosed that the attack must have spiraled into Gombe from the attacks in Plateau and Bauchi State.
Speaking on the violence by bandits and cattle rustlers, he warned that such act of violence would “not be tolerated in his government.”
He therefore reiterated the need to curb the dastardly act in the state by encouraging community security efforts, hence, he ordered immediate establishment of a police outpost in order to forestall recurrence of such incidents.
He said, “We came to see for ourselves the level of destruction and lives lost as a result of the attack by bandits, cattle rustlers in these two communities, Amtawalam and Pobawure.
“It’s really very disheartening because of the peaceful nature of our place and we have been living in peace. It seems like a spiral effect of the activities of bandits in Bauchi and Plateau states that are coming to our state Gombe.”
“I have directed for setting up of police outpost with relevant of security agencies to come and enforce security, law, and order in this place and I will make sure by the grace of God that we take necessary steps to safeguard lives and property of the people knowing full well Gombe is a peaceful state.”
“Community policing is of the essence. We will ensure community policing takes place not only here but the entire state, knowing full well we have our outfits like GOSTEC, the vigilante and other agencies, we shall all join hands and we shall succeed.”
The Commissioner of Police, Oqua Etim, in his statement also revealed that the bandits only destroyed farm produce as nothing was evidently carted away.
Etim revealed that the attack was not politically motivated as he confirmed that not only that three people were killed but that some were recorded injured.
He disclosed that the incident is already being investigated on the instruction of the Governor to ensure that normalcy returns to the community.
He said, “they came specially to destroy their farm produce and they did not steal anything. We are on top of the situation that is why we are here the moment his excellency got the news he gave directives that we are on the ground and ensure law and order in the place.”
“This has nothing to do with politics. So, we should divorce politics from criminality and politics is going on smoothly. Three casualties; a 90-year-old man was burnt with his two other young persons were savagely killed and we have recorded two to three injured”, he said.
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