`How the Birnin Gwari skirmish started`

The skirmish that occurred at Birnin Gwari that led to the burning of a police station last Thursday claimed just one life and the situation was contained that very day, Alhaji Abdulkadir Jibrilu, Wazirin Birnin Gwari, clarified yesterday.
Speaking to Sunday Trust at his Birnin Gwari residence, Alhaji Abdulkadir lamented that both the cause of the incident and the number of deaths were misrepresented by the Hausa service of a foreign radio station on its late evening news on Thursday.
Narrating what happened to our correspondent, Wazirin Birnin Gwari said that the death occurred when a bus that was being pursued by policemen attached to ``Operation Yaki``, knocked down a motorcyclist, killing the rider and injuring the passenger.
Following the accident, tension rose along Funtua road where the death occurred and youngsters blocked the highway and made bonfires on the road, preventing the flow of traffic, Abdulkadir said. “Incidentally, Thursday was our market day and the entire town was filled to capacity,” he added.
According to Abdulkadir, he was at home when the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Paul Udama, came to intimate him about what was happening. “We rode in his car to the accident scene and I addressed the crowd”, Wazirin Birnin Gwari said. “I told them that as Muslims, we must accept the will of destiny whether good or bad”, he added.
Wazirin Birnin Gwari also promised to replace the motor cycle, foot the medical bills of the wounded passenger and look for ways and means to pay “diyya” to the family of the deceased but with a caveat. “I told them that all these will be done after the blockade has been removed and traffic starts moving freely along Funtua road,” he said. The angry youths complied and calm was restored.
However, about 20 minutes later, another group of armed youths from Gobirawa went to the police station, shouting that the police has killed one of their own and they must avenge the death. “I was told that one of them macheted the police on the head and the police dispersed them with tear gas,” he said, adding that they reinforced and came from behind to burn the police station.
According to Abdulkadir, there was nothing political, ethnic or religious about the incident and apart from the person who lost his life owing to the road accident, no other life was lost. DPO Udama was not around when Sunday Trust visited the charred remains of the police station.