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Protesting Sayawa women
By Akanji Olowolodu, Bauchi
Bauchi State Government has been called upon to as a matter of urgency, direct the State Police Command to release the detained traditional ruler of the Sayawa Chiefdom, Air Commodore Ishaku Komo (rtd) the Gung Zaar select.
The women threatened that if the Government refused to release the traditional ruler and 6 others being detained with him, they will march from Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro LGAs to protest in Bauchi.
This is as the tensed atmosphere in the LGAs has taken a new dimension as women in their hundreds from the areas trooped to the streets of Tafawa Balewa on Thursday, blocked the major highways and disrupted commercial and social activities for several hours.
The situation was for the fifth time within 3 weeks to protest the continued detention of their monarch, the Gung Zaar-Select, Air Commodore Ishaku Komo (retd.) by the Police in the State.
One of the women leaders, Rahatu Luka, said that the women gathered to expressed their displeasure over what is happening in the area saying that it is a new thing in Bauchi state, denying someone who lost his Dear mother the opportunity to bury her.
She declared that unless he is released unconditionally, the women will continue to protest saying that if he is not released, the within a short period, the women will suprise everyone in the state.
Another women leader, Rhoda Joshua condemned the situation in the area lamenting that as far as they are concerned, Ishaku Komo did nothing wrong that will warrant his arrest and detention.
She joined in the demand for his unconditionally release from detention or the women will march from Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro to occupy Bauchi metropolis until he is released to them.
The protesters who mostly dressed in black attires, held leaves and branches of trees while others held placards and banners with various inscriptions demanding the release of their monarch.
They sang several songs and walked for several hours going round Tafawa Balewa town and forcing shop and business owners to close down.
Addressing journalists during the protest, the National Youths, Zaar Youth Development Association, Ga-Allah Daniel, said that, “this is the gathering of our mothers popularly called ‘Gudiya’ as you can see them here. So, we now went yesterday (Wednesday) both representatives of the youths and our mothers.”
He added that, “As we went there, the story changed, they asked us where do we intend to carryout our protest and we said at the Government House, they asked us again, inside or outside and we told them that we prefer the outside, they said no, that they will not allow anyone or group of persons to carry protest to the Government House or anywhere in Bauchi metropolis simply because since we blocked the road, they pleaded with us and we refused to open the road, they said that if we go there, we will cause public disturbance. How did they control us here? They have a lot of security issues.”
According to him,”So therefore, if really want to continue with the protest today (Thursday), we can only do it at the Police Headquarters in Bauchi and the number of people should not exceed 100. We later now ask them about the first letter we wrote to them which they approved but now saying that we should come to the Police Headquarters, it seems they are contradicting themselves.”
He narrated that the struggle for self rule by people of the area has been on for a long time which has resulted in several legal issues and it will not be stopped until the right thing is done by the government.
Ga-Allah Daniel thereby called on the State Government to put politics aside and do the needful by immediately releasing unconditionally, the Gung Zaar, Air Commodore Ishaku Komo (rtd) and 6 others arrested and detained with him.
Recall that the Bauchi State Police arrested Komo and six others for their alleged involvement in the recent communal crisis that erupted in Sang Village in Bogoro LGA, the coronation of a Hamlet Head.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Bauchi State Command, Superintendent of Police, Ahmed Wakil, in a recent statement, insisted that the detained monarch and six persons have a case to answer over the incident.
