The crisis in Plateau state that has pitched two factions of the state House of Assembly took a tragic turn yesterday when at least two persons were killed and several others injured in Jos the state capital.
Trouble started when operatives of the Economic and financial Crime Commission (EFCC) again stormed the Plateau State House of Assembly complex with the detained eight members of the legislators to cause a sitting of the faction. The group as usual arrived amidst tight security provided by the EFCC and the Police at about 8:30am.
The pro-Dariye group, which was caught unawares rallied against the sitting. They were, however, prevented from storming the Assembly complex by the police stopped them. Even journalists bearing valid identification cards were turned back from the complex.
But the sitting of the group of eight (G-8) could only last for less than 20 minutes because of the build up of the restive crowd outside of the Assembly complex. THISDAY gathered that the sitting was called to serve the chief judge of the state with an order to set up an impeachment panel for Governor Joshua Dariye.
Immediately after the sitting, the group of eight was shielded back into the police van to Abuja. But they met a road block mounted by the demonstrating pro-Dariye group in front of the Plateau Specialist Hospital located about 300 meters away from the Assembly complex. In an attempt to clear the way the police, led by the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ibiyinka Kayode, shot sporadically at the crowd killing two and leaving several others injured. One of the unfortunate victims simply identified as Sale Habila was said to have been referred from Jos International Breweries (JIB) clinic for specialist attention at the Plateau Specialist Hospital.
The enraged protesters asked for the Police commissioner�s head. According to them, the Police boss was bribed by Deputy Senate President, Alhaji Ibrahim Mantu to wreck harm on them. The police commissioner, through his deputy paid a visit to the victims at the hospital saying he didn�t intend to kill innocent citizens but was trying to maintain order.
The aggrieved youths refused to be pacified, and demanded that the commissioner come in person to take the corpses of the victims of the police shootings.
It was at this point that the rioters took their anger to Maritu�s house. They set his house ablaze and seven cars parked within its precinct. But before men of the fire service could come to the rescue, a sizeable portion of the house had been raised, fours car completely consumed by the inferno while three others were partially destroyed.
A visibly angry Governor Dariye after a visit to the hospital to ascertain the state of the fatalities condemned the act and called for the transfer of the state Commissioner of Police.
�I wish to call on Mr. President and the Inspector General of Police to as a matter of urgency remove the Plateau State Police Commissioner Mr. Ibiyinka Kayode, who seems to be biased and partisan in his recent acts. He has been inaccessible even to the chief executive of the state. He has failed to honour our invitation to Security Council meetings even in these sensitive times,� Dariye said.
He, however, appealed to citizens of the state to remain peaceful and law abiding.
But while the tragic incident played out at the Assembly complex, the Federal High Court, Jos had quickly adjourned the on-going hearing between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Simon Lalong faction of the lawmakers, which attracted a large number of PDP supporters. They were in court to stage a peaceful demonstration in support of the activities of the EFCC in the state.
There have been several attempts to oust Dariye from office. In fact when the state of emergency on the state was mooted two years ago, the lawmakers were offered a deal to impeach the state governor and remain in office. But they did not budge.
But despite the evidence from the EFCC, the state legislators refused to commence impeachment proceedings against him. This, perhaps, informed the pressure mounted on the legislators by the EFCC. Most of them are standing trial before a Federal High Court Lagos for alleged money laundering offences. They include the Speaker, Mr. Simon Lalong and deputy Mr. Usman Musa, David Longlam, Gambo Nbilat, Benshak Dalop, Rufus Bature, Wanga Lemoro, Geoffrey Tem, Abubakar Muhammed and Saad Bello.
And ostensibly to break their resolve, eight lawmakers with alleged backing of the EFCC and Police last week declared 14 seats in the House vacant on account of their occupiers having moved to the new Action Congress, impeached the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly and served impeachment notice on Dariye.
Oct142006