Hell was let loose in Kaduna on Wednesday as thugs and supporters of a former governor of Jigawa State and Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential aspirant in the 2019 election, Sule Lamido, clashed.
No death was recorded but scores of people were said to have sustained varying degrees of injury. One of Lamido’s supporters had his hand cut off by the armed thugs when they invaded the Rabah Road in the metropolis where the former governor was inspecting his campaign office.
Lamido had recently written a letter of intent to contest the 2019 presidential election under the platform of the PDP to the party’s National Executive Committee members.
One of those who witnessed the clash, Muhammed Sarki, told a Punch correspondent that the Lamido supporters were caught unawares by the thugs, who he described as “political hoodlums.”
“Lamido’s supporters had gathered at his campaign office and they were being addressed by the politician but I think what angered the political hoodlums was when Lamido during his address criticised President Muhammadu Buhari for poor performance,” he said.
Sarki added that suspected Buhari supporters later invaded the campaign office and started attacking Lamido supporters after the presidential aspirant had ended his address.
A correspondent gathered that this led to a free-for-all but the hoodlums had an upper hand as four persons sustained serious injury, while one person had his left arm cut off.
This forced Lamido’s supporters, politicians, passersby and journalists at the venue to flee the area for safety.
Though some top police officers confirmed the clash, the efforts made to get the official reaction failed as calls made to the mobile telephone of the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mukhtar Aliyu, ranged out.
Lamido had while addressing his supporters before the attack, carpeted the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress’ administration for its poor handling of the nation’s socio-economic and political affairs.
He noted that because there was no peace in the country, investors seemed to have shunned Nigeria.
Lamido said, “When there is peace in Nigeria, there will be development and growth; when there is stability, people can invest; today, there is instability in Nigeria because our chemistry cannot blend. We are busy maligning one another, dehumanising one another and abusing one another.
“Nigerian government will mock you if you complain. If I am wailing, my people will say, ‘Sule what is your problem?’ This is the only government that people have been mocked for expressing their opinion. We have been demonised because of our opinion. We will not succumb because this is our country.
“We shall revive Nigeria. Today, they have turned Nigeria to a theatre. People have been demonised and mocked. So, I am telling the youths that the future is yours. I will not tolerate any youth smoking marijuana, brandishing swords or cutlasses or any weapons. Today, Nigeria is basically gone because our chemistry is not blending.”