The Gombe State Police Command on Wednesday confirmed an attack on the convoy of the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Professor Isa Pantami, by suspected political thugs in the Jekadafari area of Gombe State.
The attack, which reportedly involved the burning of bonfires and destruction of vehicle windshields, occurred as Pantami arrived in the state aboard a chartered flight and was received by hundreds of supporters who thronged the Emir’s Palace, where candidates were presented with their party flags.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, Buhari Abdullahi, said no arrest had been made, adding that investigations were ongoing to identify those responsible.
Abdullahi, who spoke during a telephone interview, said police personnel had been adequately deployed to maintain order but some hoodlums took advantage of the movement of the crowd to attack vehicles.
“There is no arrest made yet, but investigation is ongoing. As you can see, there is adequate deployment of officers there. It was only when the crowd passed a particular point that the thugs began to barricade some of the remaining vehicles and attack them,” he said.
On the number of vehicles affected, the police spokesman said the command could not establish the figure because no formal complaints had been lodged at any police station.
“So far, we cannot ascertain the number because none of them has reported to any police station. What we are relying on is the video clip circulating, which we cannot use to authenticate the number of vehicles affected as of now,” Abdullahi added.
He assured residents that the command would pursue the investigation and prosecute anyone found culpable, warning political actors against resorting to violence.
The police spokesman recalled that the Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Ahmed Chuso, had earlier warned that the command would not tolerate any form of political thuggery, whether physical or through social media.
“The Gombe State Police Command, under the leadership of CP Umar Ahmed Chuso, has already issued a statement that we are not going to condone any form of political thuggery, be it physical thuggery or social media thuggery.
“Whoever is found culpable will be prosecuted accordingly. We are not going to relent or allow this to go unpunished. We must take it very firmly and ensure that whoever is found wanting is prosecuted,” he said.
Abdullahi, however, urged members of the public with credible information about the incident to assist the police investigation.
“It is a matter of investigation, but we are calling on those with tangible and useful information to come forward to aid the investigation,” he said.
Meanwhile, speaking at the rally, Pantami took a swipe at his political opponents, saying his administration would protect public funds rather than share them.
“Some are saying that if given a chance, they will share Gombe money, but if we are given the opportunity, we will protect Gombe money,” he said.
The former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy also made a pointed reference to his appointment into public office, contrasting his experience in Madina with that of political figures from Wurono in Jigawa State.
“Thank God I was brought from Madina to be given an appointment, unlike those from Wurono to become governor,” Pantami said.
