5 years after a close to comparable incident led to the killing of about 11 boys brigade and ladies information squad members, one other comparable skirmish was well timed averted by the Gombe Police Command on Easter eve as youths in a mosque pelted the brigade squad with stones and different objects, destroying their drums and inflicting accidents on others.
Arewa PUNCH stories that no fewer than 300 members from completely different ECWA church buildings who have been in a procession to rejoice the Easter with the Boys Brigade squad comprising parishioners from Nazareth Nayi Nawa, Pantami, Bagadaza and Macedonia have been allegedly attacked by the suspected hoodlums and miscreants who attacked the very peaceable and orderly procession.
Narrating his ordeal to Arewa PUNCH, an eyewitness who recognized himself as Ephraim decried the motion of the irate youths who pelted them with stones.
He disclosed that they have been attacked round a mosque in Jekadafari, infamous for extremism and crime.
Ephraim mentioned, “We went out for Easter rally at night time however after we reached Jekadafari within the night time close to the Jaurawa mosque they didn’t discuss or say something to us, they only began throwing stones at us and since there have been just a few folks which are in entrance that was why they attacked us.
“Those I noticed injured have been simply two, and I don’t know whether or not others received injured too,” Ephraim instructed Arewa PUNCH.
Nevertheless, reacting to the incident by means of a phone interview with Arewa PUNCH, Gombe State Commissioner of Police, Hayatu Usman, confirmed {that a} lady was injured throughout an alleged disagreement between Evangelical Church Profitable All Boys Brigade members on procession.
Usman who dismissed insinuations that it was an assault mentioned, “It wasn’t an assault. It was a misunderstanding that occurred between them (boys brigade and boys from Jekadafari).”
Clarifying the circumstances surrounding the incident, the CP defined, “I obtained a telephone name roughly round 2am this morning. It was a very good samaritan who referred to as to inform me that one thing was about to occur within the Jekadafari space right here between Christians and Muslims.
“The Muslims pray at night time throughout Ramadan from 12:30am to 4am in a congregational prayer. As they have been praying and the boys brigade needed to additionally cross in the direction of the course of the mosque that they have been praying and the hisbah folks requested them to not cross by means of there as a result of prayer was on going, particularly after they have been beating their drums.”
Usman famous that whereas some members within the procession needed to divert their course however the remainder insisted on following the route.
“Some modified course and few amongst them insisted that they have to cross by means of that very same course and the misunderstanding attracted some few among the many Muslims and so they began throwing stones on the Christians that insisted on passing their course and we’re fortunate that we now have patrol vans round that space which embody Hattara and instantly, they have been in a position management the matter and escorted them,” he added.
The police high boss additional disclosed to Arewa PUNCH that just one girl among the many brigade boys was injured, thus dismissing insinuations that extra individuals have been affected.
“It was just one lady that was injured, and he or she was handled and discharged from the hospital. The DPO will affirm the precise quantity, however in response to what he despatched to me, it’s like only a few folks have been injured. No one has reported any extra accidents thus far, however every thing is below management,” Usman assured.
The Gombe CP urged the residents to collaborate with the police earlier than finishing up processions to avert misunderstanding, including, “That’s why we inform people who in the event that they need to embark on any rally, they need to contain the police with a purpose to information you the place to comply with. It was a minor situation, and it was instantly put below management as a result of we have already got our safety crew and patrol crew on floor,” he narrated.
