Women under the auspices of Tangale Community Development Association have called on Governor Muhammadu Yahaya of Gombe State to make public the report of the commission of inquiry into the 2021 Billiri crisis.
They made the call shortly after a meeting held in Billiri.
The women who expressed concern over misrepresentation of the crisis wondered how an attack by miscreants on Tangale women conducting peaceful protest turned out to be interpreted as religious crisis.
They said it remains a fact that Tangale women were conducting a peaceful protest over a rumour that Governor Yahaya was going to impose an unpopular candidate as Mai Tangle on the Tangale people when miscreants started attacking them, leading to burning of businesses and worship houses by yet to be identified persons.
They challenged the governor to quickly make public findings of the commission, since he was quick to pay compensation to the people who suffered losses.
The governor had disbursed over N500 million from Billiri Local Council money in the Joint State/LGA account to pay compensation to people who claimed damages in the Billiri crisis.
The TCDA women also called for the immediate release of those they refer to as “innocently incacerated” in connection with the crisis without trial, calling on the governor to go after the real culprits.
The lead speaker, Mrs. Mary Simon said, “We are parents, and are pained by the fact that our children are incacerated for an offense they did not commit.
“The government should go after the real people,” she said.
Also speaking, Malama Elizabeth said, “we are restless because of the Tangale people incacerated.
“Their wives and children have become miserable, and while in prison, some of them have even lost their parents, who died resulting from depression and the likes, because of the situation,” she said.
The women said the action taken by Governor Yahaya soon after the protest of imposing the same unpopular candidate on Tangale people have vindicated them.
However, an open letter recently written and released by Tangale elders and three other Tangale sociocultural groups said the person the governor announced as Mai Tangle is not a Tangale man.
