Gombe Imposes 24-hour Curfew on Communities in Balanga Local Government

Following renewed communal violence that erupted between Lunguda and Waja ethnic groups in Balanga Local Government Area, the Gombe State Government has imposed a 24-hour curfew on some communities, including Nyuwar, Jessu, Heme, Yolde Gelentuku, Sikam, Wala-Lunguda and environs with immediate effect.

The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi, who made the announcement, said the decision followed renewed violence that erupted in the communities earlier on Wednesday.

According to the SSG, a curfew becomes necessary to restore peace and order in the affected areas.

He said security personnel had been deployed to restore normalcy while the curfew will subsist until further notice.

Meanwhile, Governor Muhammadu Yahaya of Gombe has revealed that the collaboration among religious and community leaders and other stakeholders has helped address the state’s security challenges.

Yahaya disclosed this recently in a chat with State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari’s chief of staff, Ibrahim Gambari, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to the governor, Gombe’s peculiar location makes it vulnerable but noted that security agencies had worked hard to secure the state.

He stated, “We are really located in the midst of the North-East because we share boundaries with all the other five states of the zone, and as a result of that, even the effect of insurgency, Boko Haram and issues of farmer-herder clashes have caused some security challenges in Gombe in the past.

“But we have been proactive, and we are following up day by day all institutions affected, for example, the traditional rulers, community leaders and the security agencies, trying to build a mutual understanding and good relationship among our people. I can say that compared to the rest, Gombe is relatively peaceful, and we thank God for that; we are very appreciative of the cooperation and understanding of our people.”

Commenting on cases of kidnapping of students in some states, he explained that after a vulnerability assessment, his administration took proactive measures to safeguard all schools in the state.

“We assigned the local security personnel, vigilante, to work with the conventional organised security in order to safeguard our schools against attacks.

“Above all, what we did for a wider society is reflected in the schools, and we concentrated our effort in building big schools that will contain greater numbers, to reduce the chances, such that wherever students are exposed to such risks, we brought them closer to the main security agencies, so as to have peace and tranquillity,” the governor further explained.

“That has succeeded,” he added, “in bringing peace to our schools, so the schools and the wider society are safe in Gombe, and we thank God for that.”