Hoodlums vandalise ex-Bauchi deputy gov’s house, govt lodge, raze LG secretariat

Hoodlums in Azare, Katagum Local Government Area of Bauchi State, the second-largest town in the state, have vandalised the government lodge, the country home of the immediate past deputy governor, Senator Baba Tela, and burned the local government secretariat.

According to residents of the area who spoke with The Guardian, the hoodlums vandalised the politician’s home during the ongoing nationwide protests against ‘bad governance’.

The thugs reportedly torched the Secretariat on Monday.

“The protesters went to the Secretariat, Baba Tela’s house, and Government Lodge. They destroyed some valuable items and carted away some things.

“There has been tension in some parts of Azare because the security personnel are really everywhere,” one of the residents said.

Meanwhile, the state government has imposed a 24-hour curfew in the local government.

“Due to the deteriorating security situation in Azare and its environments,” a statement by the Media Adviser to the Governor, Mukhtar Gidado, said.

He said that following the incident leading to “destruction of public property, stealing, victimisation, etc.,” Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed approved the “imposition, with immediate effect, of a 24-hour curfew in Katagum Local Government Area in order to contain the situation.”

He said that the governor directed all security agencies to wade into the matter and ensure that the hoodlums are fished out and brought to book.

He further called on law-abiding citizens to cooperate with security agencies at this trying moment.