From : Segun Babatunde in Bauchi
The Bauchi State Police Command has explained that no life was lost as result of the crisis between Bauchi and Gombe communities over boundary disputes.
The Command’s Police Public Relations Officer(PPRO), SPMohammad Ahmed Wakil who stated this on Thursday while fielding questions from newsmen in Bauchi, debunked media reports that a communal clash between communities in Ganjuwa Local Government in Bauchi State and communities in Dukku Local Government of Gombe State, claimed an unspecified number of lives while houses and farmlands worth millions of naira were destroyed.
According to him, “It is not true that lives were lost in the crisis that involved the communities. The truth of the matter is that, some communities from Gombe State cross the river, invaded some farms of Bauchi communities in Ganjuwa Local Government areas”
“The attackers started shooting sporadically in the air, they destroyed the farms and left. They did not kill anybody from the report received by the command. The District head of one of the affected communities informed the police who visited the area and restored law and order”
“After the incident, the commissioner of police of Bauchi and Gombe State summoned a meeting between the police commands, Special advisers on security who represented the State Governors, Commissioner of youth sports, local governments chairmen traditional and community leaders from the areas and all the relevant stakeholders ,where they held a fruitful discussion on how to ensure sustainable peace In the area” he said
The PPRO said that part of the resolution of the meeting was to lodge a formal complaint to the National Boundary Commission.
The Police spokesman said that another meeting between the Governors of Bauchi and Gombe State, council chairmen of the affected communities, traditional and community leaders from the area, will be held separately to discuss on the way forward as part of efforts to ensure sustainable peace among the communities.
Wakil said the commissioner of Police of the two states will deploy policemen in the area where the attackers are crossing to prevent the other communities from crossing over to cause any problems.
Wakil who said that some policemen have been deployed to the affected communities to restore peace, appealed for calm and solicited for cooperation from all stakeholders to maintain peace.
Recall that a member of Bauchi State House of Assembly, representing Ganjuwa East Constituency, Gazali Abubakar Wunti told lawmakers at floor of the Assembly that in the early hours of wednesday, around 3:00 am, some people from Buri Buri village in Dukku Local Government Area of Gombe State attacked a village called Bara in Gungura ward of Ganjuwa LGA in Bauchi State.
The lawmaker claimed that the attackers destroyed the people’s farms and properties worth millions of naira, adding that the Communities resorted to engaging volunteers and vigilante to guard their farms.
“So many committees were formed in the past to resolve the border disputes but all efforts ended in futility. They have been attacking the people of the area and destroying their properties and now it has even included the loss of innocent lives.” The lawmaker said.