Yobe Community Protests Alleged Killing of Four by Soldiers

Youths in Gashua community of Bade local government area of Yobe State, on Sunday, protested the killing of a tricycle rider and three others, allegedly by military personnel who were deployed to the town to provide security to residents.

It was gathered that the protesters came out enmass to express their anger over what they called the unjustifiable killing of a tricycle rider by armed men suspected to be soldiers at a checkpoint.

The killing of the three other victims occurred during the protest at a military checkpoint in Tashan Kuka, along Garin Alkali Road via Gashua, the headquarters of Bade LGA of the State.

Soldiers at the checkpoint allegedly opened fire indiscriminately into the crowd of protesters, which was approaching their ‘stop and search’ checkpoint at Tashan Kuka, along Garin Alkali Road, where the tricycle operator was allegedly killed.

One of the protesters, Adamu Bukar, who spoke to newsmen, said, “We will not agree to the killing of our people. We don’t want military to stay in Gashua town.”

Another source claimed that five persons were killed by the military during the protest and the attendant chaos while 14 others were injured and taken to the Gashua Specialist Hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, the Emir of Bade, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Suleiman, has called on the people of the town to remain calm even as he promised to reach out to the concerned authorities on the incident.