By Yusuf Adua
The governor of Borno state, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum has decried the violent clash that ensued after the demolition of a church in Maiduguri and ordered the police to investigate the incident.
An unfortunate incident which claimed at least a life and left and left several others injured came to being after a demolition team of the Borno Geographic Information Service – (BOGIS) opened fire at armless civilians during a demolition exercise at Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa Nigeria (EYN), Church in Maduganari area in the capital of Maiduguri.
Our correspondent confirmed that some angry youths confronted the team headed by Mr. Adam Bukar-Bababe, the BOGIS Executive Secretary after they started demolishing the church structure without prior notice.
The protest was triggered after a driver of an escalator started destroying the structure of the church including the properties inside which include; Chairs, boards, fridges, televisions, public address system, and other properties.
An anonymous source told our correspondent via the telephone that “a Civilian Joint Task Force Member in the demolition team opened fire at the crowd to dispersed them which resulted in the killing of a young man identified as Ezekiel Bitrus, a 29-year-old while five others were severely injured as they attempted to take to their heels”.
The source further expressed that this misdemeanor ignited the anger of youths within the communities who went on a rampage to convey their displeasure over the killing by attacking the team.
The BOGIS Executive Secretary narrowly escaped being lynched by the angry youths after he was whisked away by security personnel, while other members of his team ran for safety.
Another eyewitness also disclosed that the shooter also escaped while other members of the Civilian Joint Task Force removed their uniforms and fled the scene for the fear of being decimated.
News Live Nigeria gathered that four vehicles belonging to a humanitarian organisation were vandalised by the youths and the burning violence took intervention from the personnel’s from the Borno state Police Command, Garrison Commander Operation Hadin Kai, a team from the Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN), to bring the situation under control.
In the meantime, Borno state Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum has ordered the police to as a matter of urgency investigate the violent collusion between the parties.
He condemned in strong terms, the firing of gunshots by a member of the security task force as well as some persons who hurled stones at the task force during an encounter on Thursday. One person died and five persons are currently hospitalized.
According to Governor Zulum’s spokesman Isa Gusau, the Governor commiserates with families of the person who died and those injured.
The Governor had also called the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN in Borno State, Bishop Mohammed Naga, and spoke with him to commiserate with the Christian community and leadership and family of the EYN church in Borno.
The spokesman furthered expressed that Governor Zulum had invited the CAN leadership for a meeting and directed the deputy governor, Umar Kadafur to visit the hospital where five injured persons were receiving treatment, to empathize with them and also takeover the cost of their treatment.