The Senator representing Borno South Senatorial district and Director General of Chief Rotimi Amaechi presidential campaign, Ali Mohammed Ndume and the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi narrowly escaped being mobbed by the rampaging thugs in Biu town of Biu Local Government Council of Borno State.
Trouble started for Senator Ndume and his principal, Amaechi after a scheduled APC delegates meeting which was arranged by Ndume and midway into the meeting, supporters of Ndume and thugs who don’t want Amaechi engaged each other in a ferocious fight using dangerous weapons.
CAPITAL POST gathered that the impromptu meeting was at the instance of Senator Ali Mohammed Ndume, who didn’t realise that the APC delegates were already divided.
An eye witness who is also a member of the APC delegates from Waka Ward of Biu town, Alhaji Mohammed Waka confirmed in a telephone conservation saying,” I should think, the whole started strange sound on air erupted at the venue when we started hearing people roaring and shouting.”
“Then we saw children running towards the scene and on reaching the scene, the gate of the lodge was locked, but a lot of people were seen gathered including youths and women with some wounded.
“Myself and some friends also saw political thugs and some supporters of Senator Ali Ndume in not less than three vehicles being conveyed to Biu General Hospital where it was confirmed at the hospital that about 32 thugs and supporters sustained various degree of wounds from the clash that were rushed to the General Hospital Biu for treatment.
“Actually, what happened is disagreement between the political thugs and supporters of Senator Ndume over APC delegates meeting in the lodge that Chief Rotimi Amaechi and Senator Ali Ndume lodged and called APC delegates to converge at the lodge to be addressed by Rotimi Amaechi which the meeting was disrupted and truncated by aggrieved APC thugs on basis that the Senator can not hold the delegates meeting ahead of the scheduled APC State Primaries.
“Then the disruption and arguments that ensued between the thugs and supporters of Senator culminated into physical assault, fight, exchange of blows, beating of each other including the women supporters who were not soared in the clash while the duo went into hiding as they could not be seen around the scene as the lodge was finally locked and security operatives stationed at the gate and premises of the lodge,” Mohammed said.
A health personnel at the Biu General Hospital (name withheld) through telephone conversation confirmed that some people were brought to the hospital with various injuries sustained but some treated and left while others are still responding to treatment at the hospital.
“Yes but assure me, my name will not be quoted. We actually received some wounded people numbering about 32 people. Some have been tested and discharged while some are still responding to treatment . That is all what I can say. I don’t of others anywhere because I don’t work there,” the source said.
However, it also gathered from reliable sources in Biu town that about 16 injured people from the scene of the clash were rushed to private hospitals within the Biu, town for treatment but not confirmed.
A resident of Biu town, Malam Musa Audu told our correspondent that the issue of clash between supporters of Senator Ndume and other political thugs usually do occur in Biu and it’s environs whenever Senator Ndume is in Biu.
“Now that he is seeking re-election to return to the Senate for the third term, definitely, one should expect a clash. It is a usual thing expect his entry into Biu town is with the governor’s convoy. If not, there have always been clashes whenever he is in town. Today that he is in Biu town for political activities or reason, we expected a clash or fight will erupt.
“Because this is not the first time such a clash is taking place whenever he is in Biu. It is a normal situation that such thing do happens whenever we see Senator Ndume around in town for political activities.
“And we suspect that it has to do political acceptance or popularity among the Biu people including the youths and women over delivery of dividends of democracy where even our member of the House of Representatives at the lowest Chamber, Hon. Aliyu Betara performs, serves and delivers far better than the Senator in terms of constituency projects and carrying people along”, Musa said.
