Nasarawa Impeachment: Police arrest 27 protesters

No lives were lost in the violence that erupted during the protest.

The Nasarawa State Police command on Thursday confirmed the arrest of 27 people who allegedly turned a peaceful protest over the impeachment notice served on the state governor, Tanko Al-Makura, into a violent one.

The state police spokesperson, Ismaila Numan, who confirmed the arrest, stated that there was no life lost. He said those arrested were undergoing investigation.

Mr. Numan disclosed that the suspects were arrested along UAC road Lafia after the protest allegedly turned violent.

He said that security has been reinforced across the state especially in Lafia, the state capital, and urged members of the public to go about their normal business.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that violence erupted when some youths took advantage of the protest to desecrate posters and billboards belonging to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. This led to retaliation from supporters of the PDP.

Mr. Al-Makura is a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Meanwhile the state PDP chairman, Yunana Iliya, on Thursday, stated that neither the party headquarters nor the presidency was behind Mr. Al-Makura’s travails.

Mr. Illiya said that the assembly had the right to perform their constitutional functions.

On Thursday, some women also protested the plans to impeach Mr. Al-Makura.

A leader of the women, Hajara Danyaro, said the impeachment move was a calculated attempt to destabilise the state.

“We are saying no to the impeachment of the people’s governor because as far as we are concerned, Al-Makura is the best governor Nasarawa has ever had,” she stated.

The protesters, who carried placards with inscriptions such as Mothers of Nasarawa State say No to impeachment, Women in Nasarawa State support Ta’al 2015, among others, were chanting abuses on members of the state House of Assembly.

Addressing the protesters, the wife of the governor, Salamatu Al-Makura, implored them to remain calm, be prayerful and not to take laws into their hands. She expressed optimism that the governor would overcome the impeachment saga.

“I would like to urge you all to intensify your prayers to God to take charge of the situation, as nothing is beyond him to handle,” she said.

She lamented that the lawmakers ought to have consulted their constituents before taking the decision to impeach the governor.

The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Ahmed Musa, on Monday directed the clerk, Ego Maikeffi, to serve the governor an impeachment notice over alleged gross misconduct.

Twenty of the state’s 24 lawmakers signed the impeachment notice.

Mr. Maikeffi, however, told journalists on Tuesday that he was prevented by security operatives from gaining access to Government House to serve the notice.

The House of Assembly, on Thursday, resorted to serving the notice through the media. It was published in two national dailies.