A group, Zauren Baba Gonto, from Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro Local Government Areas of Bauchi State, on Tuesday, asked the state government to compensate victims of the December 31, 2021 violence that erupted in the area over the 21st memorial anniversary of Sayawa’s leader, Baba Peter Gonto.
DAILY POST recalls that the violence that erupted over the botched anniversary led to attacks on the convoys of the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Ralwabu Sulaiman Adamu and Emir of Dass, Alhaji Othman Biliyaminu Usman.
Several persons reportedly lost their lives, many houses and other valuables were destroyed in the melee.
Speaking with journalists in Bauchi on Tuesday, leader of the group, Bonji Bar, while condemning the attacks in its entirety, appealed to the state government to ensure that those who suffered losses during the attacks are adequately compensated.
Bar called for peace among warring factions, saying that they must see one another as brothers and sisters bound by ethnic lineage for a common cause and as such bury their hatchets.
According to him, the violence, which started from Tafawa Balewa on December 29 and continued till December 31, 2021, was avoidable.
“We wish to condemn in strong terms the ugly and unfortunate violent attack by thugs, arsonists and anarchists that abruptly ended the Baba Peter Gonto 21st memorial and official launching of the Peter Gonto Foundation that happened on the 31st December, 2021 in Bogoro.
“This ugly and avoidable debacle started from Tafawa Balewa from 29 through the December 31, 2021 and spread to other communities including Bar, Bogoro and Mwari, the town of the legendary Baba Peter Gonto of blessed memories.
“We, therefore, call on the state government to ensure that all those innocent persons who suffered loss in any form are compensated,” Bar said.
He informed that the incident led to the death of a son of the legendary Gonto, Baba Aralla Peter Gonto, urging people of the areas to ensure peace reigned as the deceased was yet to be buried.
“This ugly incident led to the untimely death of Baba Aralla Peter Gonto, who happens to be an illustrious son and liberator of our land, Baba Peter Gonto. In view of this, we sue for calm as the deceased is yet to be buried,” he said.
Bar said the group would continue to mediate between warring factions until a united front was achieved and called on security agencies in the state to ensure that they apprehend perpetrators of the violence.
“We call on the security agencies to go after and apprehend the perpetrators of these barbaric acts and let them face the full wrath of the law to serve as deterrent to other criminally minded fellows, and their sponsors arrested.
“As Zauren Baba Gonto, we shall continue to operate on non partisanship and all the interest of Zaar sons and daughters would be protected by us in all frontiers irrespective of political affiliation, ideology, faith, clan, social status, or community.”
He then appealed to Sayawa individuals and groups to refrain from posting on social media inciting, provocative and inflammatory statements capable of stirring disaffection and disunity.
In his words, “we call on ZDA, ZAYODA, Women wing, NUZAS, other pressure and interest groups, politicians, civil servant, artisans, farmers and other private individuals of Zaar extraction to refrain from posting inciting, provocative and inflammatory statements that can stir disaffection and cause dis-unity, and worse off, conflicts especially on social media platforms.
“We, therefore, urge all Zaar sons and daughters wherever they may be to remain law abiding and on no account shall we tolerate any form of incitement and violence.
“All warring factions must bury their hatchets and see each other as brothers and sisters bound by ethnic lineage for a common cause.
“We further call on all the victims or their relations to avoid the temptation of any reprisal attacks, since all appropriate machinery of government have swiftly swung into action in order to decisively deal with the situation in order to prevent future recurrence.”
