PDP guber candidate accuses Gombe govt of victimisation
Seeks prosecution of errant security operatives
Gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State, Muhammad Barde, has accused the state government of victimisation and executive high-handedness, following the reported demolition of his campaign office in the state capital by Gombe State Urban Planning Development Authority (GOSUPDA).
Barde, in a chat with newsmen, displayed some bullet casings and tear gas canisters, reportedly expended by the police task force that escorted GOSUPDA in the demolition.
He narrated how he escaped the attack by whiskers and accused the state government of disruption of public peace, adding that the demolition was the second time his campaign office would be hit by government forces.
A petition written by Barde’s lawyers said the attack was spearheaded by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led state government, and accused some government officials of leading some police personnel in the raid and demolition exercise.
However, GOSUPDA said: “Demolition of an illegal structure belonging to Gombe Good Leadership Association was carried out in the spirit of the ongoing reclamation of the development masterplan and maintaining the prevailing peace and tranquility the state enjoys.”
Some stakeholders said the demolition exercise might not be unconnected with the running battle between Barde and the state government.
Among those identified during the demolition were Chief of Staff to Governor, Abubakar Kari; Executive Chairman of GOSUPDA, Grp. Capt. Peter Bilal (rtd) among others.
The petition also identified members of the police team as led by SP Zulaidaini Abba.
It reads: “The police officers, the governor’s appointees and other dangerous arms-wielding thugs engaged in the indiscriminate firing of gunshots, with the approval of the Commissioner of Police, which led to hospitalisation of 26 people from neighbouring buildings.
“The police officers, along with the officials of GOSUPDA, invaded Barde’s campaign office at Liberty Junction, Gombe GRA, under the guise of executing a purported court order. During the attack, they demolished the office building, without any justification for their unprovoked actions. In the course of the attack, the police officers shot teargas and caused grave bodily harm to neighbours. Barde, the PDP gubernatorial candidate, escaped death by the whiskers. Photo of the canisters are attached for ease of reference.”
The lawyers, in the petition, requested the immediate provision of additional security officers for the protection of Barde, and immediate suspension of the police officers in order to carry out full-scale investigation into the unfortunate assassination attempt on Barde as well as the unlawful killing of nine people and the thugs they deployed.
They also sought the summary dismissal and prosecution of the police officers involved, if found culpable at the end of the investigation.
Barde noted that a building approval was granted on December 30, 2021 to complete the building at the gate and erect a billboard.
He said: “GOSUPDA wrote a quit notice on the building early March 2022. Consequent upon this, we obtained a court injunction on March 18, 2020 and duly served it on government. They disregarded and violated the court order and demolished the building on March 21, 2022.”
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