Jigawa Police Under Fire For Dispersing APC Supporters With Teargas At Government Event

The Jigawa State Police Command has come under intense criticism for dispersing supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who had gathered for a government event in Gagarawa Local Government Area on Sunday.

The event, the fifth edition of the Government and Citizens Engagement Programme, was organised by the state government to facilitate public input for policy-making and promote people-centred governance.

Naijaonpoint reports that the incident occurred when APC supporters, including federal lawmaker Nazifi Gumel and other loyalists, arrived at the venue while Governor Umar Namadi, a member of the APC, was already seated.

According to witnesses, the police fired tear gas at the entrance gate to disperse the crowd, which they deemed unnecessary.

The police’s actions have sparked outrage among APC supporters, with many questioning the reasoning behind inviting them to the event if their presence was not desired. Some expressed their frustration to Punch.

“We were officially invited to the event, but we were denied access to the venue,” said Sani Adamu, a prominent APC supporter.

Another APC supporter, Aminu Suleiman, broke down in tears after inhaling tear gas, asking, “If you don’t want our presence, then why invite people?”

Some supporters were visibly confused about the police’s actions, stating that they had responded to the government’s invitation without knowledge that their presence was unwelcome.

“We didn’t know that our presence was not needed. We were just following the government’s call,” said Lawan Muhammad.

One supporter, Uwar Malam, was seen bleeding and crying for help. In an emotional outburst, she said in Hausa, “Wannan bai dace ba, munzo ne domin mu nunawa Gwamnan mu kauna,” which translates to, “This is unacceptable. We were just there to support our governor and show our presence.”

Another supporter, Abba Isa, voiced his disappointment over the police’s actions, calling it uncalled for. “The police should have allowed us to enter the venue. We were not causing any trouble,” he said.

The aggrieved APC supporters have since demanded an explanation from the authorities and an apology from the police. They also called for assurances that such incidents would not occur again in the future, expressing concerns about the treatment of citizens at public events.