The Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji IDrissa Timta is feared killed in an ambush attack on his convoy some few hours ago while traveling to Gombe for the burial of the late Emir of Gombe.
He was driving in the same car with his counterpart, the Emir of Uba, Alhaji Ismaila Timta, who managed to survive the attack.
The Emir of Uba has been found by soldiers who had pursued the insurgents.
Additional information gathered was that the two emirs were driving on the same car when when the insurgents opened fire on them.
The two emirs managed to open the car and fled into the bush.
After a serious gun battle between some soldiers and the insurgents, the Emir of Uba was eventually found in the bush.
But the Emir of Gwoza could not make it as his body was found in the bush, dead.
He was said to have died of cardiac arrest, as a result of the sudden attack.
Borno state Government officially confirmed the incident.
A statement signed by Ambassador Baba Ahmed Jidda, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), said the emir was killed at about 9am today along Tashan Alade on the way to Biu town, headquarters of Biu Local Government Area in Southern Borno.
He was in the company of the Emir of Askira, Alhaji Abdullahi Ibn Muhammadu Askirama and Emir of Uba, Alhaji Ali Ibn Ismaila Mamza, on their way to the funeral in Gombe today of the late Emir of Gombe. The emirs had elected to drive in the same vehicle to Biu to pick up the Emir of Biu to travel with them.
The SSG gave the sequence of events as follows:
“The late Emir of Gwoza had visited his counterpart, the Emir of Uba yesterday and passed the night in Uba ahead of their planned trip today. The two Emirs were this morning, joined by the Emir of Askira. The three drove in the same vehicle with the intention of going to Biu to be joined by their counterpart in Biu.
Unfortunately as they were driving in convoy to Biu, they were ambushed by gun men around Tashan Alade, soon after passing Garkida. The gunmen came after the convoy, specifically targeted the vehicle conveying the three Emirs and opened fire. The Emir of Gwoza was unfortunately killed by the attackers while the Emirs of Askira and Uba escaped unhurt. A policeman in the convoy was shot by the attackers but he survived the attack.”
He described Alhaji Timta, a first class emir following his recent elevation by Governor Kashim Shettima, as a great man who worked very hard to promote peace and progress in Gwoza.
“He was a pillar and one of the rallying points in Borno State,” the statement said, adding that he has visibly worked very hard in the search for peace in Gwoza since the insurgency began.
“Borno State Government is terribly shocked by this incident,” the SSG said.
“The Government prays that Allah admits the late Emir into aljanna Firadaus and give his family, members of the Gwoza Emirate Council, the people of Gwoza, the State Council of Chiefs and the entire people of Borno State the fortitude to bear this very traumatic loss especially at a time the State is still dealing with equally disturbing issues related with security challenges in the State.”
He prayed for accelerated and lasting peace in Borno State and the rest of Nigeria.
But a top security personnel confirmed the death of the Emir of Gwoza.
“It was really sad that the Emir of Gwoza got killed in the attack; but his colleague, Emir of Uba managed to escape unhurt”.
All the vehicles on the convoy of the Emir were also said to have been burnt.
Bio-Data of the murdered Emir of Gwoza
Alh. Shehu Mustapha Idrisa Timta was born in 1942 to the family of the Late Chief of Gwoza Alh. Idrisa Timta. The Late Emir attended the Muslim Elementary School Gwoza in 1948 and Senior Primary School Bama between 1952 and 1960. He proceeded to the then Provincial Secondary School now Government College Maiduguri between 1960 to 1964.
The Late Emir of Gwoza after working briefly as a teacher in Gwoza, he proceeded to the prestigious ABU, Zaria to study Sharia Law in 1968 and later HND in the same discipline in 1972.
Alh. Shehu Mustapha Idrisa Timta has worked with the then North – East judiciary in various capacities as an inspector of Area Courts and rose to the rank of Principal Inspector of Area Courts before his appointment as the 3rd chief of Gwoza in October, 1981.
The late Emir was elevated to a second class Emir in 1987 and due to his hard work and loyalty to Government, His Excellency the executive Governor of Borno State Hon. Kashim Shettima elevated him to the rank of a 1st class Emir in January, 2014.
The late Emir is survived by four wives, 28 children and many brothers and sisters. Among them are Alh. Haruna Idrisa Timta, the former Head of Service, Borno state Alh. Adamu Idrisa Timta, a Permanent Secretary with the Borno state Government, Alh. Yusuf Timta, Secretary Gwoza Local Govt, and Alh. Umar Timta of the DPR, Maiduguri.
Among his children are Muhammad S. Timta, District Head of Hambagda, Isa S. Timta, Secretary of the Emirate Council, Lt. Abdulrazaq S. Timta of the Nigeria Army and Dr. Abubakar S. Timta.
