Nineteen Traffic Marshals, working for
the Gombe State government on Tuesday
sustained various degrees of injuries in clashes
with a group of policemen in Gombe. Mr Babaji Dunama, General Manager of the Gombe
State Agency for Social Services and Other Related
Matters, made the disclosure in an interview in
Gombe, the state capital. He said that the clashes followed a disagreement
between the police and the marshals at the Cross
Roundabout in Gombe town. The marshals are youths, employed by the State
Government to perform sundry duties such as
assisting in controlling traffic and enforcing
environmental sanitation laws. Dunama alleged that the marshals were attacked
by the police while performing their duties. The general manager said that when he tried to
ask the police to stop harassing the marshals, the
policemen threatened him. He said that shortly after he left the place, the
problem degenerated with the policemen beating
marshals on duty. Dunama said that after the incident at the
roundabout, eight vehicles filled with police men
went to his office at the Ministry of Youth and
Poverty Alleviation and ransacked it while every
marshal they saw there was beaten. He alleged that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO)
of the Gombe Command, Mr Baba Yola, led the
policemen to commit the act. The general manager said that the DPO had been
having problems with marshals, adding that his
incessant harassment of the marshals was a
threat to peace in the state. He said that the 19 wounded marshals were
arrested and taken to the police station. Dunama, however, said that after he reported the
matter to the Commissioner of Police, Mr Kudu
Nma, the marshals were released on bail. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the
Gombe State Police Command, Mr Fwaje Atajiri,
said that two policemen from the Gombe Police
Division were sent to invite some persons
suspected of committing assault. According to the PPRO, when the policemen tried
to invite one of the suspects, he refused and an
argument ensued between the suspect and the
policemen. He said it was later discovered that the suspect
was a marshal but that he was not in uniform. Atajiri said that the clash could not have occurred
if the police had known that the suspect was a
marshal. The spokesman said that the marshal should
have followed the policemen to the station to
explain and identify himself since he was not in
uniform. The PPRO denied allegations that policemen in
eight vehicles went and beat many marshals in
the Ministry of Youth and Poverty Alleviation. Atajiri said the police was a disciplined
organisation and that investigation would be
conducted and anyone found to have gone
beyond the call of his duties would not be spared.
(NAN)
the Gombe State government on Tuesday
sustained various degrees of injuries in clashes
with a group of policemen in Gombe. Mr Babaji Dunama, General Manager of the Gombe
State Agency for Social Services and Other Related
Matters, made the disclosure in an interview in
Gombe, the state capital. He said that the clashes followed a disagreement
between the police and the marshals at the Cross
Roundabout in Gombe town. The marshals are youths, employed by the State
Government to perform sundry duties such as
assisting in controlling traffic and enforcing
environmental sanitation laws. Dunama alleged that the marshals were attacked
by the police while performing their duties. The general manager said that when he tried to
ask the police to stop harassing the marshals, the
policemen threatened him. He said that shortly after he left the place, the
problem degenerated with the policemen beating
marshals on duty. Dunama said that after the incident at the
roundabout, eight vehicles filled with police men
went to his office at the Ministry of Youth and
Poverty Alleviation and ransacked it while every
marshal they saw there was beaten. He alleged that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO)
of the Gombe Command, Mr Baba Yola, led the
policemen to commit the act. The general manager said that the DPO had been
having problems with marshals, adding that his
incessant harassment of the marshals was a
threat to peace in the state. He said that the 19 wounded marshals were
arrested and taken to the police station. Dunama, however, said that after he reported the
matter to the Commissioner of Police, Mr Kudu
Nma, the marshals were released on bail. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the
Gombe State Police Command, Mr Fwaje Atajiri,
said that two policemen from the Gombe Police
Division were sent to invite some persons
suspected of committing assault. According to the PPRO, when the policemen tried
to invite one of the suspects, he refused and an
argument ensued between the suspect and the
policemen. He said it was later discovered that the suspect
was a marshal but that he was not in uniform. Atajiri said that the clash could not have occurred
if the police had known that the suspect was a
marshal. The spokesman said that the marshal should
have followed the policemen to the station to
explain and identify himself since he was not in
uniform. The PPRO denied allegations that policemen in
eight vehicles went and beat many marshals in
the Ministry of Youth and Poverty Alleviation. Atajiri said the police was a disciplined
organisation and that investigation would be
conducted and anyone found to have gone
beyond the call of his duties would not be spared.
(NAN)
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