Why we didn’t impose curfew – Gombe Gov

Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has given reason why the government didn’t impose curfew in the state when the peaceful hunger protest was hijacked by hoodlums, on Thursday.

Some Nigerians had taken to the streets on Thursday to protest hardship in the country, blocking major roads in some states of the federation and asking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration to reverse some of the policies which they claimed had exacerbated hunger in the country.

The exercise was hijacked by hoodlums in some states, resulting in destruction and looting of properties.

In Gombe, some residents besieged the Government House gates.

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Hijacked by miscreants, what started as peaceful protest later became violent as mob began to destroy public and private buildings, carting away valuable items.

As the exercise turned violent, shop owners and traders in major markets in Gombe metropolis hired vigilantes and hunters to secure their shops against vandals.

The degeneration of the protest in Kano, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno states had compelled the governors to declare 24-hour curfew to prevent further escalation.

But Governor Inuwa, in a statement on Friday by his Spokesperson, Ismaila Uba Misilli, said he decided not to impose curfew in the state in order to avoid subjecting people to further hardship.

The Governor also lamented the damage inflicted on both public and private properties caused as a result of the violent protest, maintaining that his administration would not allow actions that threaten the state’s stability.

He added that although he was not against peaceful protest, any action contradicting democratic principles and violating the law would not be condoned.

He said, “Gombe is known for its peace, and we must preserve it. We cannot allow actions that threaten our stability. We have no state other than Gombe. We understand that there are challenges and hardships in the land, but we must not resort to violence and destruction of our state to express our feelings or concerns.

“Let me make it clear: we are not against peaceful protest. We know that democracy and our laws grant the right to express oneself, but yesterday’s event contradicted democratic principles and violated the law. We are ready to support any peaceful demonstration, and the police are ready to give protesters the maximum protection to exercise their constitutional rights once they follow the laid down rules. What we cannot allow, let me re-emphasize, is the breakdown of law and order.”