The Jigawa State Police Command came under criticism on Sunday for dispersing supporters of the All Progressives Congress who had arrived for a government function in Gagarawa Local Government Area.

The event was the fifth edition of the Government and Citizens Engagement Programme, introduced by the state government to gather public input for policy-making and ensure people-centred governance.

Trouble began when Governor Umar Namadi, a member of the APC, was already seated at the venue and the federal lawmaker representing Gumel, Gagarawa, Maigatari, and Sule-Tankarkar, Nazifi Gumel, arrived with his supporters, alongside other APC loyalists from different parts of the state.

Witnesses said police fired tear gas at the entrance gate to disperse what they described as an unnecessary crowd.

The police action has sparked outrage among APC supporters, with some questioning the rationale behind inviting them to the event if their presence was not needed.

Some APC supporters who spoke to PUNCH Online expressed their disappointment and frustration over the police action.

“We were officially invited to the event, but we were denied access to the venue,” said Sani Adamu, a prominent APC supporter.

“If you don’t want our presence, then why invite people?” asked Aminu Suleiman, another APC supporter, who broke into tears after inhaling the tear gas.

Some supporters also expressed their confusion over the police action, saying they responded to the government’s call to attend the function but didn’t know that their presence was not needed.

“We don’t know that our presence is not needed. We were just following the government’s call,” said Lawan Muhammad.

One supporter, Uwar Malam, was seen bleeding and crying for help.

Speaking in Hausa, she said, “Wannan bai dace ba, munzo ne domin mu nunawa Gwamnan mu kauna,” which means “this is unacceptable. We were just there to support our governor and show our presence.”

Another supporter, Abba Isa, expressed his disappointment over the police action, saying it was uncalled for. “The police should have allowed us to enter the venue. We were not causing any trouble,” he said.

The aggrieved supporters demanded an explanation from the authorities and an apology from the police. They also called for assurances that such incidents would not happen again.

Efforts to reach the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Hamisu Gumel, were unsuccessful as calls to his known number were not answered at the time of filing this report.

Attempts to contact the state Commissioner for Information, Sagir Musa, also failed.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Shi’isu Adam, said the command was not aware of the incident at the time.

He said the police would release details to the public if necessary after investigating the matter. (The PUNCH)