Hundreds of youth have on Monday attacked Senator Joshua Lidani in Talasse, headquarters of Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe state, Daily Trust is reporting.
Our correspondent gathered that Senator Lidani who is representing Gombe South Senatorial District at the National Assembly, was in Talasse to felicitate with the Bala Waja, Alhaji Danjuma Mohammed, when hundreds of youth stormed the palace in attempt to held the senator hostage.
According to resident of Talasse who crave for anonymity, Senator Lidani visited the town to supervise a building project he awarded at the Community College of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Talasse.
“The mammoth crowds of youth stormed the palace at about 8am when they learnt that Senator Lidani was in town. They want explanation on what he was doing for them for the past seven years he was at the senate.
“They pelted stones on his motorcade and later laid siege at the Bala Waja’s palace waiting for him to come out and explain to them” he said.
According to the witnesses, since his election in 2015, he never visited the town or brought any constituency project to them, with the exception of three blocks of classrooms that he built at the college.
Another resident of the town told our correspondent on phone that, it took a combined effort of soldiers and mobile policemen to be able to evacuate the senator from the palace to safety.
“A combine team of mobile policemen and soldiers who stormed the palace in seven trucks were able to escort him safely from the Bala Waja’s palace and he escaped unhurt,” he said.
In a phone interview with Daily Trust, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Tairu Shina Olukolu, confirmed the incident.
He said: “Senator Joshua Lidani was at the Bala Waja’s palace to felicitate with the royal father when some youth who alleged that they are unsatisfied with his representation, barricaded the palace and denied him exit demanding explanation from him on his representation at the senate.
“To avoid break down of law and order, security operatives were dispatch to the palace and they have successfully escort him out of the town unhurt,” he said.
CP Olukolu said after the incident normalcy have since return to the town with people going about their activities.
Meanwhile, in a post on Facebook by IG Wala, he said a young man has sustained injuries from stray bullets fired by soldiers who rescued Senator Lidani from the Emir’s palace where he was held hostage by irate youth on political ground. Thereafter, another five Police vehicle arrive the scene to evacuate the Senator’s vehicles. The injured youth was rushed to a hospital in Gombe town.
