The courtesy call by the
Northern Governors Wives Forum (NGWF) on the Emir of Bauchi Dr Rilwanu
Suleiman Adamu, on Tuesday, was almost marred by a clash between a top
police officer and an official of the Department of State Security (DSS)
at the emir’s palace.
It was gathered that a fierce fight broke
out between an Assistant Commissioner of Police ACP (names withheld)
with the Bauchi State command and an official of the DSS attached to
wife of the Governor of Nasarawa State, Hajia Hajiya Mairo Al-makura.
Daily
Sun learnt that the ugly fight took place inside the the Emir’s palace
when the Emir was already seated and receiving his guests.
The
governors’ wives, who were at the palace on a courtesy call on the
monarch, were from Kogi, Borno, Gombe, Sokoto, Nassarawa, Niger,
Zamfara, Bauchi and Kebbi states.
The governors’ wives were led
on the visit to the traditional ruler by the newly elected Chairperson
of the NGWF and wife of the Bauchi State Governor, Hajia Hadiza Mohammed
in company with nine northern governors’ wives.
Hajia Abubakar,
who was elected at the Yankari Games Reserves and Resort, on Monday,
during the forum’s meeting, took over the rein of leadership of the NGWF
from wife of the Zamfara State Governor Asma’u Abdul’aziz Yari
Abubakar.
An eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity, said the fight
started when the DSS operative allegedly demanded that the vehicle of
the Bauchi State Governor’s wife be parked properly away from where
Al-makura’s wife’s vehicle was already parked.
The police
officer, who was in his uniform, was reported to have been infuriated by
the command coming from the plain-clothed security official and
allegedly shouted on the DSS man. The DSS official was said to have been
provoked with the outburst of the police officer and, in turn, rained
abuse on the policeman.
“The AC (police officer) didn’t take
kindly to the insult and gave the DSS man a dirty slap. The DSS man
retaliated and they started fighting each other,” the witness said.
According
to the witness, some policemen believed to be the AC subordinates
joined the scuffle, beating the DSS man almost to a pulp.
A
senior police officer was reported to have immediately taken away the
pistol belonging to the police officer in order to prevent any
accidental gunshot.
“The fight was getting out of hand and there was confusion every,2 said the witnessed.“
Luckily,
men of the NSCDC on ground, intervened and separated the fighting
policeman and the DSS before causing further breakdown of law and order.
Efforts
to get the reaction of the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP
Kamal Mohammed Datti, did not succeed several calls made to his mobile
phone were not returned while he also did not reply to a text sent to
his phone number.
Hadiza Abubakar told the monarch that the north
was left behind in education, health and other economic activities and
called for support from traditional rulers and the government to
continue their quota to address the backwardness of the region.
She lamented that drug abuse was ravaging youth of the region saying that spouses of governors on their own have initiated programmes aimed at tackling the menace of drug abuse.
The
NGWF Chairperson then appealed to traditional institutions to support
the forum in their efforts to assist women and children.
She
said: “We discussed yesterday (Monday October 16) on the way forward
particular for the girl child education among other issues of women,
children, youth and how to support our husbands to achieve their mandate
to the people”.
In his response, Dr Rilwanu Adamu appreciated the wives of the governor for their supportive role in uniting northern Nigeria.
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