Billiri Protest: Gombe discovers additional corpse, arrests 16 including a security operative, as council condemns violence
Chima Azubuike, Gombe
Gombe State Security Council, on Monday, confirmed an additional corpse from the Billiri crisis, bringing the total number of deaths to four, with six more arrests.
Earlier, Commissioner of police, Shehu Maikudi, had announced three deaths, 10 arrests to newsmen on the governor’s assessment tour on Saturday.
Briefing journalists on the resolutions of the council meeting presided by Governor Inuwa Yahaya, Commissioner for Internal Security and Ethical Orientation, Dauda Batari said Council expressed sadness over the incident describing it as ‘senseless killings and destruction of people’s property in Billiri with religious and political undertones‘.
He said, “The Council expresses sadness over the senseless killings and destruction of people’s property in Billiri with religious and political undertones.
“Sixteen (16) persons have so far been arrested and fifteen (15) of them will be arraigned before a court of law in connection with the attacks, while the sixteenth suspect is a security personnel who is under further investigation
“Security personnel are already on the trail of the suspected masterminds of the mayhem.
“An assessment team will be set up to determine the persons affected, properties destroyed and lives lost with a view to offering support to the victims
“So far four (4) corpses have been recovered by the police.”
The commissioner further revealed the effort of Government to forestall possible reprisal by opposing groups, adding that committee will be inaugurated to avert impending occurrences.
He added, “In view of the severity of the attacks, government has taken proactive measures in engaging with religious groups and all other stakeholders with a view to averting reprisal attacks with directives to Chairmen of Local Government Councils to put churches under security surveillance to forestall likely attacks by some unscrupulous elements
“Government will set up a panel of inquiry to get to the remote and immediate causes of the incident to avert future occurrence
“The Council consoles the families of the deceased and prays for the quick recovery of the injured and those who lost property that God will replenish them.”
Yes this theam does the right thing at the right time for him to know what he has done is not the best.