Tension as Bauchi Senator, Jika threatens to shoot neighbour over “dogs fight”

Dr Mrs Ijeoma Emeribe, a resident of Dantata Estate in Katampe district of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja has alledged that Senator Haliru Dauda Jika representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District, has threatened her life and those of her household with a gun over domestic dogs fight.

Narrating her ordeal and how they have been living in fear, she expressed shock on how could a federal lawmaker threaten a neighbour because dogs belonging to both of them were fighting.

The lawmaker and Dr Emeribe are neighbours in the estate situated in the highbrow district of Abuja, but said they have been living in harmony for years now.

In an interview with journalists at her residence on Monday, she explained that trouble started after her dog and that of the Senator had a fight directly in front of her yard.

She said the incidence caught her attention and the lawmaker came to the scene behind her house with a gun.

On sighting the gun in his hand, she said both she and members of her household all became afraid.

She explained how scared they have been living since the incident took place thus: “It was yesterday between 12.30 pm to 1pm, I heard noise coming from the back of my house so I was wondering what was happening.

“I was upstairs with my husband, so I didn’t know that my children were outside so I came out to find out what was actually happening only for my boy to tell me that the Senator came in with a gun to shoot my dog.

“So I asked my son what happened, he said that he took the dog to go and ease itself, returned the dog and even locked the dog inside the cage before the Senator came.

“So the Senator pushed his way and entered right at the back of my house and brought out the gun that he was going to shoot and kill the dog. So by the time I came out the noise was so much so I saw that he had already left the scene.

“We were all scared the children were crying screaming on top of their voices because they have never seen a live gun. So my husband said okay let him go and find out what the problem was.

“He got there and waited for about five minutes for him to open the door. My husband told him that he came to find out why he had to do that. He told my husband to get out from his compound and that he can go to hell and do whatever he wants to do. So I was saying he was lucky I didn’t take a video of the gun of him.

Dr Ijeoma told journalists that she was crying out as a result of the danger it posed for a Senator to come out with a gun over a minor issue.

On whether, there ad been an unresolved issue before that day, she insisted that they have always been living in peace, a situation she expressed shock that a man of that standing could quickly rushed to his neighbour’s compound with a gun.

“Because we are scared, a man that could take a gun to our house to kill a dog can as well do something else. So we are being threatened. That is why I have to come to the press to help us.

“We are concerned because we don’t know what is going to happen next. We have never had issues that would warrant him bringing gun to my compound. We have always lived in peace in this place.

“It is not as if it is out of place for people to live together and have issues. If he had come to my house to shout, it would have been a different thing, but the fear of bringing gun to my house is what is actually scaring us. We don’t know what will happen with the insecurity in the country. We don’t know who has anybody in mind so that we don’t sleep one day and don’t get up.

“I am also looking at it. We are looking at insecurity, young people coming to rule us. How can you governors and leaders lead us with this kind of violence that he has displayed. I have no option than to cry out.

“She revealed that the matter has been reported to the Police, but expressed fears that as the Chairman of Senate Committee on Police affairs, they may not get the expected justice, hence their resort to the press.

“Yes my husband did. Because it happened yesterday they said we should come there to lay a formal complaint and then because of what is happening in the country and for the fact he has something to do with the Police that is why we decided to go to the press.

“We are crying out to Nigerians to help because we don’t know what is going to happen the next moment because he is a Senator.

“He has intimidated us because we are living in the same area. You can see it’s a compound that has five houses.

“Everybody is on his own. We have our own dual gate. So for him to have left that place to come to my apartment with a gun, even if he came to shout at me, I wouldn’t mind but to come with a gun Haba , it is really frightening.

“We are under threat right now because we don’t know what is in his mind. And then he also told my husband that he should get out and go and do whatever he wants to do which means we are nobody because we don’t hold any office in Nigeria. So we are scared.

Daily Post made attempts to reach the lawmaker on two of phone lines without success.

The lawmaker also failed to respond to text messages sent to his phone lines on Monday.

However, his Senior legislative aide Dauda Alaya on Monday at about 5.00pm called to schedule a meeting for 10.00am in the Senator’s office, Suite 2.15.

On Tuesday, the legislative aide told journalists in his office that his principal, though in the office, was busy with budget defence, hence he would reschedule a meeting for Thursday.

But on insistence that the interaction has to take place, he asked this reporter to go ahead with their reports.