Political thugs, weekend, stormed the house of Nigeria’s former Minister of Commerce, Bello Maitama, and vandalised two of his official vehicles and that of the Speaker, Jigawa State House of Assembly, Isa Idris.

Mr. Maitama, a commerce minister during the military regime of Ibrahim Babangida, was chairing a reconciliation meeting with aggrieved members of the APC in his residence in Gwaram Local Government Area when thugs disrupted the process and attempted to lynch the minister.

A witness, who was part of the reconciliation committee, told journalists that it took the combined efforts of the security agencies to whisk away the ex-minister and the speaker but their vehicles were not spared.

He said the security agencies had to fire gunshots into the air to disperse the gathering of thugs, stressing that if that move was not made, the situation might have turned more violent.

The ex-minister was chairing a reconciliation committee meeting which was aimed at bringing back to fold aggrieved members of the ruling APC in the state.

Recently, the governor, Mohammad Badaru, constituted a reconciliation committee to bring together all aggrieved members of the APC in the state.

The thugs were believed to be sponsored by other local politicians in Gwaram, who have been nursing grudges against the council boss, Abdulmalik Shehu, whom they accuse of not running an inclusive government.

A witness told reporters that politics in Gwaram has been tense, ever since the council boss was installed by the state authority. He has allegedly not been carrying along members of the party at the grassroots.

However, the Police, yesterday, disclosed that 10 political thugs have been arrested in connection with the fracas.

Jigawa State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abdu Jinjiri, who confirmed the arrests in an interview in Dutse, yesterday, said that four others were injured during the fight.

“We have arrested 10 suspects for fighting after a political gathering in Gwaram town yesterday.

“Adequate security was provided for the gathering. However, after the event, thugs began to fight during which four persons were injured.”

•Sourced from a Vanguard report