Zamfara NURTW chairman, members storm State Fire Service office, attack officials
*Police confirms incident, no arrest made yet
By IBRAHIM KANOMA, Gusau
The Chairman of Zamfara State Chapter of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Hamisu Kasuwar Daji, Thursday led his members and attacked the officials of Zamfara State Fire Service, injured the Director, principal officers and others.
The ugly event occurred as a result of minor misunderstanding between a staff of the Service and the patrolling members of the union, which was already resolved amicably.
The DEFENDER reports that few hours later, Hamisu Daji, leading other union members, went to the Fire Service office in four vehicles carrying dangerous weapons and launched the attack, which left ten personnel injured including the state Director of Fire Service.
Narrating what transpired, the state Director of Fire Service, Alhaji Abdullahi Jibo Dauran who was already admitted at Yariman Bakura Hospital Gusau due to injuries from the attacks, said,” I cannot say exactly what happened, because i was holding meeting with my directors, I just heard too much noice, so I had to close the meeting and come out to see what is happening.
“The next thing to see is the NURTW chairman with his members carrying stones, machetes and other dangerous weapons attacking my personnel, so I just ordered my staff to go back to their offices and close the gate.
“In the process, somebody among them hit my head with an object, which left me unconscious, and the remaining of my staff were either stoned or cut with machetes which brought us to the hospital,” he said.
Briefing newsmen at amenity ward of the hospital, state Commissioner of Works, Alhaji Rabiu Garba, said government has taken adequate measures to address the issue.
He said he had already briefed the state Deputy Governor, Senator Hassan Nasiha, who was also the Acting Governor of the state, and assured to punish perpetrators of the deadly act.
He described the act as barbaric and unfortunate as, according to him, the state government was currently trying its best to ensure citizens enjoy lasting peace across the state and therefore cannot tolerate starting of a new criminal act by anybody.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Muhammad Shehu, confirmed that police were aware of the attacks although he did not talk about any arrest made or not.
However, The DEFENDER effort to get the state NURTW chairman, Hamisu Kasuwar Daji, was unsuccessful, as some sources hinted that he had been detained by the police.
