Gombe State Commissioner of Police, Hayatu Usman, has disclosed that his personnel have recovered some looted items from suspected criminals during the #endbadgovernance protest yesterday.
WikkiTimes recalls that the protest which started as peaceful became violent when some of the protesters attempted to invade Gombe Government House after taking off from their point of convergence.
The Commissioner, while speaking to journalists at his office in Gombe, confirmed that some items recovered included bags of fertilizer, office equipment loot from Gombe Bureau of Public Reforms among others.
He added that some private businesses at the Jewel City had been burgled but timely intervention of the police prevented the hoodlums from plundering them.
The CP expllained said: “They opened a shop and immediately we dispatched a team from the Safer Highway led by one officer and on sighting the police they disappeared even though they had broken into the shop but I think they did not carry anything because of the prompt arrival of the police team.”
“I was with the protesters when they were coming all the way from Barunde. They started out peacefully and no one was holding any weapon. But their numbers gradually doubled and they became violent.”
Speaking on the alleged killing of protesters, CP Usman refuted the claim saying “I have not received any case of killing anybody and I am telling you authoritatively because there are five Divisional Police Officers in the network and nobody reported that to me.”
He added that 5 Police officers were injured in the protest when they were pelted with stones by the protesters, adding that tear gas had to be employed to repel the protesters.
He rejected the possibility of declaring curfew in the state as “there is no need for it as of now.”
Wikkitimes reports that many states such as Kano and Borno have imposed 24-curfew to avert further breakdown of law and order.
