Five persons were reportedly killed after some thugs on Friday attacked the convoy of a former governor of the state, Senator Danjuma Goje.
Eyewitness said the attack occurred when Goje ran into an ambush by suspected political thugs on his way from the Airport after returning from Abuja.
Newsclickng.com reports that Goje is the Senator representing Gombe Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly and a chieftain of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC).
The former Governor was said to be in the State to attend a wedding Fatiha after months of absence from public appearance.
He was conspicuously absent from the wards, local government and state congresses recently held in the State.
According to reports, incumbent governor, Inuwa Yahaya have been at logger heads with Goje who happened to be his former boss upon assumption of office.
Goje was absent from all the party stakeholders and traditional rulers endorsement of Governor Yahaya for the second term.
Confirming the attack Goje’s aide, Lilian Nworie, described the event as unfortunate.
“He (Goje) left Abuja this morning to attend a wedding. So, this afternoon as they proceeded to the town around the International Conference centre the road was blocked. One of his glasses was smashed,” she said.
Asked if the Senator had returned back to Abuja, she added: “He returned back to the airport, he can’t return to Abuja because he must attend the wedding. They are currently moving slowly now into the town with security. The wedding is after Juma’at”
Meanwhile, the State Government, in a statement by the Commissioner for Information, Julius Ishaya Lepes, blamed Goje for the incident.
The statement reads: “The former Governor, in his characteristic manner, decided to mobilise thugs from various LGAs armed to their teeth under the pretext of accompanying him from the airport into the State capital for reasons best known to him.
“Recall that during the last Eid el-Kabir Sallah celebration, the same person sponsored some thugs that threw caution into the wind and went on a rampage, leading to loss of 2 lives. Also just last week at Deba in Yamaltu Deba LGA the same scenario played out at the instance of the Senator.
“It is sad that Goje has not left his old ways and is bent on bringing back his brainchild (Kalare) to unleash mayhem and bug the peaceful atmosphere of Gombe State.”
While sympathising with families of the five people killed and those who sustained injuries, the State Government commended security agencies for their timely intervention in bringing the ugly situation under control.
