Arewa Group Wants Siddique, Dogara Arrested Over Bauchi Campaign Violence
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The Bauchi State chapter of the Northern Emancipation Network has called on security agencies to arrest the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate in Bauchi State, Siddique Abubakar and ex-House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara for allegedly masterminding the violence on innocent members of the public in Duguri Town, Alkaleri LGA of Bauchi State that resulted in the killing of one person and injuring 15 others.
The Network, in a statement on Friday by its Coordinator, Lawal Sani Darazo, accused Siddique Abubakar and Dogara of betraying the peace accord signed by all candidates and their parties by leading battalions of armed thugs to invade, attack and commit untold violations at Duguri in the name of campaigning for the APC gubernatorial candidate, Siddique Abubakar.
The Group noted that it will be setting a bad precedent if Siddique Abubakar and Dogara are allowed to go away with such blatant breach and violations of peoples lives and properties, and can potentially lead to greater unrest in the state.
The Group said it is suspicious that the candidate of the APC, Sadique Baba Abubakar was personally absent while all gubernatorial candidates of the various parties signed a peace accord at the State Police Command headquarters with all security agencies as it has been the practice in every election year.
“Curiously, the APC gubernatorial candidate and Dogara surfaced in Duguri, leading thousands of dangerously armed thugs who intimidated and terrorized the public, chanting abusive words and vandalizing PDP sign posts, vehicles, and offices, resulting in skirmishes, death and destruction as citizens tried to protect themselves,” Darazo said in the statement.
“The Northern Emancipation Network has found it necessary to address this petition to the Bauchi State Commissioner of Police and other organs of security in the state, to draw attention to the emerging trends in Bauchi that are pregnant with complications and unforeseen consequences.
“Our patriotic representations aim to forestall the drift toward anarchy and bloodshed in Bauchi, and also to alert the authorities that responsibility should ultimately lie in Sddique Abubakar and Yakubu Dogara’s persistent incitement to religious tension and violence in the state.
“The current agitations and disturbances that have been ongoing ceaselessly with the approach of the 2023 general elections are aimed at rendering the state practically ungovernable, and ushering in of anarchy and instability thereby occasioning a change of government by whatever means and tactics.
“The targeting of Governor Bala Mohammed’s hometown and singling it for attacks by Siddique and Dogara is aimed at causing inter-communal crisis possibly leading to general unrest as part of a much wider conspiracy to reverse the populist tendencies of the government of Bala Mohammed, and to prevent his imminent reelection for a second term.
“The ultimate objectives of the Siddique/Dogara scheme is, since it’s obvious they cannot defeat Bala Mohammed through a democratic election, resort will be made to agitation, propaganda, clamour and to more violent means starting with instigation to unrest and fanning the embers of religious and ethnic discontent into raging fires of carnage and destruction.
“Troubles would then be spread in other parts of the State where the fissures between ethnic and religious groups are much more accentuated and troublesome already,” Darazo said.
He cited earlier incidences of violence at Siddique’s campaign outings in Akuyam, Misau LGA and Toro, Toro LGA where they shot to death 3 people, saying they are part of the diabolic scheme by the APC candidate and his main collaborator, Dogara to achieve their dubious political agenda at the expense of public peace and security.
