Five persons have been reportedly killed as political thugs loyal to Governor Inuwa Yahaya launched an attack on a former Governor of Gombe State and Senator representing Gombe Central, Senator Danjuma Goje.
Eyewitness said the attack occurred when Goje who was coming from the Airport on his return from Abuja into Gombe metropolis, ran into an ambush set up by political thugs.
Goje is a chieftain of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC). The former Governor was said to be in the state to attend the wedding fatiha of his granddaughter, Fatima Abdullahi Musa in Gombe town.
He was conspicuously absent from all political processes of wards, local government and state congresses recently held in the state. The frosty relationship between Governor Yahaya and his former boss has been a source of concern for political observers recently. Goje was absent from all the party stakeholders and traditional rulers endorsement of Governor Yahaya for second term.
Confirming the attack, Goje’s aide Lilian Nworie, described the event as unfortunate, stating that it indeed occurred.
“He (Goje) left Abuja this morning to attend a Wedding. So, this afternoon as they proceeded to the town around the International Conference centre the road was blocked. One of his glass was smashed,” she said.
When asked whether the Senator had returned back to Abuja, she added, “He returned back to the airport, he can’t return to Abuja because he must attend the wedding. They are currently moving slowly now into the town with security. The wedding is after Juma’at.”
Meanwhile, the state Government in a statement signed by the Commissioner for information, Julius Ishaya Lepes, has condemned in strongest term, the breach of peace in the state capital allegedly caused by the visit of Senator Goje.
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“The former Governor, in his characteristic manner, decided to mobilize thugs from various LGAs armed to their teeth under the pretext of accompanying him from the airport into the State capital for reasons best known to him.
Recall that during the last Eid el-Kabir Sallah celebration, the same person sponsored some thugs that threw caution into the wind and went on rampage, leading to loss of two lives. Also just last week at Deba in Yamaltu Deba LGA, the same scenario played out at the instance of the Senator.
“It is sad that Goje has not left his old ways and is bent on bringing back his brainchild (Kalare) to unleash mayhem and bug the peaceful atmosphere of Gombe State,” he said. But Goje claimed it was the aide-de-camp of Governor Yahaya that blocked and attacked his convoy.
According to a statement by Nworie, “The Distinguished Senator’s trip was peaceful until when the governor’s aides, including his aide-de-camp, blocked the road. For two hours, they unleashed terror on Senator Goje and those in his convoy.
“It is unfortunate that one life was lost and many cars vandalised including the Senator’s vehicle. They smashed the windscreen. All efforts to make the governor’s aide-de-camp remove the blockade yielded no result as he insisted that he got instruction from above that the former governor should not be allowed into the town,” Nworie said.
She added that the governor’s driver, Aminu Hula and Gombe State APC Youth Leader, Kawu Lero, have been arrested by the State Police Command.
