Gombe govt imposes curfew as Boys Brigade members killed on Easter Sunday are buried

The Government of Gombe State has imposed a curfew on the Gombe metropolis, effective from Saturday to 6 am on Sunday as Boys Brigade members killed during Easter holiday are buried.

On Sunday, April 21, 2019, a vehicle driven by an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), ASC Adamu Abubakar, rammed into a procession by the Boys Brigade killing eight and injured 35, Daily Trust reports.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that 11 were killed and 30 others sustained various degree of injuries.

Speaking to Daily Trust about the incident, Godwin Zaman, one of the survivors, there were two people in the car and after killing the boys they tried to escape but the angry mob surrounded the car and beat them to death.’’

‘’He attempted to escape but the car skidded into a culvert and the angry mob surrounded the car, pulled them out and started beating them with sticks and stones. It was then that he started pleading for his life; that he had a wife and children, but nobody listened to him. They were beaten to death and their corpses were put on top of the car.”

However, one week after, tension heightened in Gombe Metropolis on as some youths clashed with Boys Brigade who went to the State Specialist Hospital at Jekadafari Quarters to retrieve their slain members for burial.

Premium Times reports that the clash led to the destruction of cars of innocent motorists in the area.

According to reports, the swift intervention of security personnel in the area put the situation under control.

But to prevent any further breakdown of law and order, the state government to impose a curfew in the state till Sunday, April 28, 2019.

The directive according to Punch was given in a statement signed by the Acting Secretary to the State Government, Mr James Pisagih, in Gombe.

“After due consultation with the Heads of security agencies in the state in response to the prevailing security situation in the state, especially Gombe metropolis.

“Gov. Ibrahim Dankwambo has approved the imposition of curfew in Gombe metropolis with immediate effect from today April 27 to 28 6 am,”

However, the slain Boys Brigade members have been buried at the Christian cemetery in Gombe.