Three persons were killed and eight injured following the violence that
erupted at a birthday party in Lushi, an area near Yelwa, Bauchi State,
on Sunday night.
Seventy-five persons were also arrested in connection with the incident.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Kamal Datti Abubakar, confirmed this to newsmen.
Abubakar
said problem started after a misunderstanding, leading to the torching
of two houses, including that of a retired Superintendent of Police.
Unconfirmed reports said that two men were fighting over a woman.
Our Correspondent learnt that one of those killed was a civil servant who worked at the Federal Secretariat, Bauchi.
Residents
of Gwallameji, near the Federal Polytechnic, Yelwa Kagadama Lushi, Kusu
and High Tension, said they heard gunshots from 11.00pm till early
hours of Monday, but the Police spokesman said he could not confirm the
allegation of gunshots.
Residents of the area however alleged
that, following the public disturbance, policemen had been going from
house, “making arbitrary arrests.”
But Abubakar, a Deputy
Superintendent of Police, told our Correspondent that security agencies
have been able to contain the situation.
“There was a birthday party in Lushi area and as a result, three people were killed and eight people injured,” Abubakar said.
On
the alleged arbitrary arrest of residents by the Police, the Command’s
Spokesman said, “We were able to arrest 75 people in connection with the
crisis. We had to make such arrests in order to forestall further
breakdown of law and order.
“It can be indiscriminate arrest, but
anybody that has connection with that incident were the people we
arrested. Two houses were also burnt in the incident.”
He said the situation had been brought under control and that investigation was ongoing to get to the root of the crisis.
