15 killed, houses razed in Gombe communal clash

 “In Nyuwar, I was told eight persons died and here (Hemen village) in Jessu community, I was told seven died, making 15 people. This is unacceptable."

 

Fifteen people were killed on Monday night in communal clashes in Nyuwar and Jessu in Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe State.

 

Governor Inuwa Yahaya disclosed this on Tuesday night while speaking with journalists shortly after assessing the situations in the affected communities.

 

The incident involved members of Lunguda and Waja ethnic groups who live in neighbouring communities in the state.

 

Governor Yahaya expressed shock over the level of damage he saw in the communities.

 

“In Nyuwar, I was told eight persons died and here (Hemen village) in Jessu community, I was told seven died, making 15 people. This is unacceptable.”

 

Curfew

 

The governor said he had declared a curfew in the affected communities to allow security personnel to restore peace and calm there.

 

He added that the perpetrators of the violence “would be made to face the full wrath of the law”.

 

The governor also assured the communities of their safety while appealing to them not to retaliate.

 

Mr Yahaya instructed security personnel led by the State Commissioner of Police, Ishola Babaita, to prevent further attacks on the communities.

 

Police assure communities

Also speaking, the police commissioner said he had deployed enough officers to the areas to protect the communities.

 

Briefing the governor, the Wakilin Nyuwar, Yohanna Galmaka, said many of his people had relocated from the communities.

Mr Galmaka, who broke down in tears while briefing the governor, said the attacks were perpetrated by Waja people whom he described as “brothers with whom they have lived together for years”.

 

The head of Lunguda ethnic group said the attack started on Monday at 9 p.m. and continued into Tuesday.

 

“We have been living together here for years, both the Lunguda and the Waja people, and we are from this same Gombe State but what we saw yesterday was horrible,” he said.