Pandemonium as thugs attack Niger’s LGA chairman

Thugs in their numbers on Monday attacked the Chairman of Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, Suleiman Chukwuba as he resumed office after three months of being suspended by the legislative councils.

The Chairman, who arrived at his office on Monday, was attacked with stones and sticks by thugs suspected to have been sponsored by the Vice-chairman, Isiaku Bawa.

• NDLEA arrests 70-year-old drug supplier for bandits in Niger
• Akwa Ibom’s APC announces Akpabio as party leader

The thugs took over the secretariat, throwing stones and using sticks to attack the supporters of the chairman.

It would be recalled that the chairman was suspended by the legislative council chamber of the local government area over an allegation of financial misappropriation on the 29th of December 2020.

The state’s House of Assembly, after delving into the issue, declared that the chairman return to office as the suspension by the legislative council of Shiroro was not in order.

A High Court also cancelled the suspension and ordered the chairman to return to the office while they suspended the vice-chairman.

Findings showed that the Vice-Chairman had arrived earlier in the office to order every staff out of the secretariat, saying that he wanted to lock up the office but when there was no response by the staff, he went to mobilize thugs to stop the resumption of the chairman.

The car conveying the chairman was attacked when it entered the secretariat.

The thugs used sticks and broke the windscreen of the car in an attempt to use sticks on the chairman.

Chukwuba was saved by his supporters, who shielded him into his office, protecting him from the attack by the thugs.

Vigilante contained situation

Men of the vigilantes also mobilized to prevent the situation from escalating but that did not stop the thugs from attacking people in the secretariat, throwing stones and hitting the people with sticks.

Speaking to newsmen in his office after he was saved, the chairman said that he had forgiven everyone that had a hand in his suspension, urging them to join hands together to combat the many challenges bedevilling the council.

He said that his reinstatement in office by the court and the state’s House of Assembly was an indication that he was innocent of all the allegations levelled against him by the legislative arm of the council.

Chukwuba said that he is ready to continue from where he stopped, stressing that he will work at ensuring that insecurity in the local government area was brought to an end.

“My coming back as chairman is to make sure that the challenges and problems faced by Shiroro local government area are resolved,” he said.