Posted by By Aliyu Dangida on
Barely five months after the Maruta communal clash which resulted in the brutal murder of six persons by the police, community of the area has sent a petition to President Olusegun Obasanjo for his urgent intervention into the matter so as to maintain peace, stability, unity and integration among the citizenry.
Dutse - Barely five months after the Maruta communal clash which resulted in the brutal murder of six persons by the police, community of the area has sent a petition to President Olusegun Obasanjo for his urgent intervention into the matter so as to maintain peace, stability, unity and integration among the citizenry.
In a petition letter signed by the leader of the Maruta community Alhaji Salisu Sule copied to the governors of Jigawa and Bauchi states, Inspector General of Police and a copy made available to Vanguard in Dutse has blamed the police for killing of innocent people during the crisis.
The petition also accused the Jigawa State police command for its failure to conduct a thoroughly investigation into the killing of the people and take a measure to deal with the culprit, so as to serve as lesson to others having the intention to commit such offence as well as maintain the cordial relationship in existence between the two communities and the police.
It however noted that the terrain which allowed the culprit to go unpunished due to lack of proper investigation by the police will create unfavourable impression in the minds of the people and may lead to the bridge of peace in the area.
Vanguard recalled that it was in March this year a communal clash occurred between people of Maruta in Jigawa and that of Gurmin in Bauchi states which resulted in the killing of six persons, forty people sustained serious injuries while thousand of animals, farm uses and about 200 houses were set ablaze.
The petition further explained that the communal clash originated as a result of relocation of a market place from Maruta in Jigawa State to Gurmin in Bauchi State and escalated due to lackaidaisical attitude demonstrated by the police in handling the situation.
It added that the police spearheaded the attack on the innocent communities.
"When communities of the affected areas demanded for proper investigation into the matter, their request was rebuffed by both the Jigawa and Bauchi states police command and they were also threatened with arrest by the police." The petition stressed.