Governor Inuwa Yahaya has backed the police to maintain a 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. restriction of commercial motorcycle movements after an artisan was killed in the state capital by suspected thugs.
The restriction of movement had been in force since 11 June, aimed at checking killings and phone theft by Yan Kalare hoodlums in the state.
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The governor’s stance comes despite concerns expressed by some residents that the six-week-old restriction was hindering businesses.
The government had provided public buses to cushion the effects of the bañ of commercial motorcycles from the roads, but residents said they are not enough.
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How popular artisan was killed
For over a decade, Gombe State has been battling the menace of hoodlums known as Kalare, formerly members of a political group founded under the administration of former Governor Danjuma Goje.
The hoodlums have been accused of killings, theft, and burglary, among other criminal activities.
The Gombe State Government and the police had adopted different measures to address their menace.
The motorcycle restriction was announced following the killing of Amadi Kasiran, a popular welder.
Sources told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Kasiran was killed due to quarrels he had with a member of the group over a woman.
The artisan, well-known to politicians in the state, had impacted several lives by mentoring over 100 artisans.
“We heard that he was attacked by thugs trying to steal his phone around Hammadu Kafi. But another story that I think is more convincing was that he shared a girlfriend with a member of the Kalare group.
“He ignored several warnings to stay away from her, so that day when he visited the woman, the thugs trapped and killed him.
“Eyewitnesses said his phone and motorcycle were found at the scene,” Abdulaziz Mala, a resident of Gombe, said.
However, the police are yet to confirm either story.
Several other residents, including religious leaders, have also suffered molestations by the hoodlums.
“My brother was beaten without him doing anything to them,” Jibrilla Isa, another resident, added.
It was against that backdrop that the police, claiming the hoodlums were using motorcycles to perpetrate their crimes, restricted motorcycle movement.
However, residents want the restriction lifted, complaining that it hinders their businesses.
“I used to build at least three beds daily in my workshop, but I can hardly achieve one and a half now. Before my apprentices arrive from their homes and settle for work, time is gone,” Abubakar Nuhu, a carpenter in Gombe, lamented.
“My business normally gets a boost during the night. During the day, I get meat and prepare it. Because of the motorcycle curfew, my customers have reduced drastically,” Isa Usman, a suya joint owner in Gombe, said.
Other residents used Facebook to ventilate their anger with the restriction and call on the government and the police to rescind it.
Meanwhile, many motorcycle operators have accused the police of exploiting the curfew to extort them, an allegation which the police have denied.
Buhari Abdullahi, the police public relations officer in the Gombe, said they hadn’t received any complaints of such nature from their checkpoints.
On the call for the review of the restriction, the police spokesperson said it had contributed to a decline in criminal activities and was helping ongoing investigations.
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Governor supports police on restriction
Governor Muhammadu Yahaya, in June when the restriction was announced, said his administration had provided public buses to cushion the effect of the restriction on the residents.
He expressed concern over the increasing cases of adolescent boys carrying weapons like machetes to attack innocent residents, citing a recent incident involving a prominent Islamic cleric, Albani Kuri.
He said over 1,000 motorcycles had been confiscated since the restriction took effect, with more than 90 percent of them found to be unregistered or lacking license plates.
He ordered the police to arrest anyone attempting to bail a thug arrested by security agents.
The governor held a media chat with the Gombe Media Corporation last week where he maintained his position of non-interference with the police order.
