IRATE YOUTHS BURN DOWN HOUSE OF SENATOR GAYA OVER UNFULFILLED PROMISES

Some youths yesterday burnt part of Senator Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya’s residence in his home town of Gaya in Gaya local government area of Kano State.

An eyewitness, Idris Muhammad, said that the youths were protesting over shortage of water, electricity and other basic amenities within the town and when they arrived at Gaya’s residence, they started vandalizing the property.

He said: “They have destroyed part of the fencing wall, broke some windows and electronics in the house. They also vandalized a house in a farm belonging to member of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Abdullahi Sani Gaya.”

He said the youths stormed the residence of the Senator around 11am and destroyed part of the building before the arrival of the police.

Confirming the incident, Police Public Relation Officer, DSP Magaji Musa Majia, said normalcy had already returned to the area as more policemen were deployed to the local government.

Majia also confirmed the arrest of 18 suspects in connection with the violence.

Majia said: “Five of the arrested hoodlums were identified as sponsors of the protest. All the suspects were moved to the police headquarters for further investigation.”

Majia explained that the angry youths had also attempted to burn Gaya local government secretariat before they were dispersed by the police.

He said the police commissioner, Alhaji Maigari Abbati Dikko, had visited the local government and sympathized with families of the affected houses.

However, in a statement issued in Abuja by the media aide of Senator Gaya, Alhaji Idris Afegbua said the senator is presently in the United States but described the action as the work of his political enemies.

The statement said “Two weeks ago, Senator Gaya built 12 solar boreholes in the local government. He was in the local government when he passed the whole day without any security in his house. He later informed Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State who instructed the Commissioner for water resources to immediately resolve the water shortage by approving thirty million naira for the replacement of the faulty water pump equipment.

“It is a well known fact that the issue of electricity and water supply is not under the purview of legislators, but the work of federal and state government,” the statement said.