Day ‘Kwankwasiyya political campaign’ turned violent in Gandun-Albasa
On Sunday, January 27, 2019, residents of Gandun-Albasa quarters in Municipal local government of Kano state were thrown into grief following an attack by a gang of political thugs suspected to be members of Kwankwasiyya political group. The gang carrying dangerous local weapons stormed the area around 7pm beating and stabbing anybody that came their […]
File photo: Kwankwasiyya
On Sunday, January 27, 2019, residents of Gandun-Albasa quarters in Municipal local government of Kano state were thrown into grief following an attack by a gang of political thugs suspected to be members of Kwankwasiyya political group.
The gang carrying dangerous local weapons stormed the area around 7pm beating and stabbing anybody that came their way, an eye witness, said, noting that the thugs also destroyed many vehicles and tricycles before they matched towards Kano city.
One of the victims, Malam Yakubu Yahaya of Gandun-Albasa, said he was stabbed with a knife on his back.
He said: “I was on my way home and I run into the crowd of Kwankwasiyya people close to Alhaji Bashir Tofa’s house, when suddenly one of the thugs stabbed me with a knife on my back.
“I was lucky, I only sustained minor injury. But I was told that they also attacked two other people close to the house of former Inspector General of Police and they left them in pool of their blood.”
Another victim, Malam Adamu told Daily Trust that the thugs attacked him in front of his shop.
“The thugs attacked anybody that came their way. They attacked several people in the area. As I am speaking to you, I am at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital receiving treatment and as soon as I am done, I will report the matter to police.
“With me is a policeman who accompanied me to the hospital and together we will move to the police station to formally lodge a complaint,” he said.
An eyewitness, Isma’il Yusuf, said the thugs also robbed many passers-by of their belongings especially mobile phones and money.
Abdullahi Magaji Aliyu, a resident of Gandu, who also confirmed the incident said his family were locked inside his house by his neighbour for fear of being attacked by the thugs.
Also a petty trader adjacent to Ummi Plaza off Zaria Road, Malam Salisu Bukar said the attackers forced him to abandon his trader and scamped for safety.
“When it became obvious to me that remaining in that area means a suicide mission I had to close my shop and run for my dear life. I saw people wielding all sort of weapons and they were stabbing and snatching innocent people’s mobile phones. I saw them when they snatched two phones from different people. That was when I decided to ran away and avoid being a victim,” Salisu said.
Another eye witness, Malam Abdullahi Rimaye, who sells lubricant, told our reporters that, the incident was so pathetic that some good Samaritans took to the streets warning people to change their routes as the situation became more serious.
“I had to abandon my stand where I sell engine oil and hid in a nearby shop when I saw some of the PDP thugs slapped a woman in a tricycle and snatched her mobile phone, they were two in the tricycle and I am sure the other is her husband. He was so calm and they just drove away, I and the owner of the shop remained in our hiding place for almost an hour.”
For Adamu Dauda, the incident was so horrifying that he had to ran from the Gandu axis to a safer place. “I had to run far away from my area Gandu to a safer place so as to escape from what I have seen, though I was not attacked but I saw many people that were attacked,” he said.
When contacted, the Public Relation Officer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the attackers were neither Kwankwasiyya supporters, nor members of the PDP.
He alleged that the attackers were hired to destabilise the PDP’s peaceful rally, noting that Kano Municipal was the 33rd local governments visited by PDP gubernatorial candidate since the commencement of campaign without any violence.
“I can assure you this is one of the so many plans our opponents are trying to use to blackmail us. Neverthless, the people of Kano are our witnesss Kwankwasiyya people are peaceful and have never gone to a political rally with a weapon. So these thugs are not our people. Rather they were planted among our people in order to spoil our good image,” he said.
Contacted, the Police Public Relation Officer, DSP Haruna Abdullahi Kiyawa, said he would inquire from the police divisional office of the affected area and communicate to this reporter as soon as possible.