PDP guber candidate accuses Gombe govt of victimisation over campaign office demolition

The gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe, Muhammad Jibrin Barde has accused the state government of victimisation and executive high-handedness, following a recent attack and the demolition of his campaign office in the state capital by the Gombe State Urban Planning Development Authority (GOSUPDA).

Barde, in a chat with the media displayed some bullet casings and tear gas canisters which were reportedly expended by the police task force team who escorted the GOSUPDA during the attack and narrated how he escaped the attack by whiskers and accused the state government of disruption of peace in the state.

He decried the thuggish attack and latest demolition, which was the second time his campaign office would be hit by government forces, following a recent vandalisation of the same structure.

A petition written by Barde’s lawyers said the attack was spearheaded by the ruling APC state government, and accused some government officials of leading some police personnel in the raid and demolition exercise.

Among those identified as the ringleaders of the attack were Abubakar Kari, Chief of Staff to the Governor; Executive Chairman of GOSUPDA, Grp. Captain Peter Bilal (Rtd); Sani, Personal Assistant to the Governor; and Garba Sale, PA to the Chief of Staff to the Governor.

The petition identified the police team as led by SP Zulaidaini Abba – AP/NO.118814 and SP Sani Adamu Bajoga – AP/NO.57675, the respective ADC and CSO to the Governor of Gombe State, while the other Police Officers are: OC SWAT – SP Hassan; Abubakar Muazu – SN.518483; Simon Isah – SN.249683; Philip Musa – SN.931462; Lucky Solomon – SN.484355; Nambu Sini – SN.528337; Abubakar Sani – SN.394172; Shamsuddeen Usman – SN.984136; Imrana Sani – SN.883042; Sulaiman Musa – SN.310892; Yusuf Lemoson – SN.724811; Safiyanu Sufi – SN.427813; and Abdulrazak Ibrahim.

The petition, which was made available to newsmen, said: “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 state commissioner of police, which led to hospitalisation of 26 people from the neighbouring houses; the attempted assassination of Muhammad Jibrin Barde, the gubernatorial candidate of PDP in the forthcoming general elections, as well as the demolition of the campaign office, including 6 vehicles that were totally destroyed, with the potential for total breakdown of law and order in Gombe State.

“The Police Officers along with the officers of Gombe State Urban & Property Development Agency (GOSUPDA) invaded the Barde campaign office located by Liberty Junction, GRA in Gombe, under the guise of executing a purported court order, and 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. Muhammad Jibrin Barde, the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP, escaped death by whiskers from a gun with live ammunition shot at him. The picture of the canisters are attached for ease of reference.

“The Gombe State Commissioner of Police, Police Officers and the Governor’s Appointees who continue to terrorise and intimidate the residents and good people of Gombe do not only threaten their victims’ constitutionally guaranteed rights to life, with the attempted assassination of Muhammad Jibrin Barde the PDP gubernatorial candidate. These assailants continue to breach the rights to life; dignity of human person and freedom of movement of their victims as if there is no government in the State.

“Also, the roles of the Police Officers and the Governor’s Appointees as well as the presence of the vehicles from the said Government House at the scenes of the unwarranted attack, points in the direction of possible state sponsored assassination of perceived opponents in the State. This fear is strengthened by the deafening silence of the State Governor and the absence of Press Releases condemning the attacks.”

The lawyers, in the petition, requested the immediate provision of additional security officers for the protection of the PDP candidate and the immediate suspension of the above Police Officers identified to have been involved in the attack in order to carry full scale investigation into the incident..