*To be arraigned in court for incitement
The alleged mastermind of the false rumour that a mother and her child were killed during the recent illegal demolition at Lungu Village, Gwarinpa, one Mr. Yunusa Ahmadu Yusuf and the Chief of Lungu, Mr. Ezekiel Sanya Zakka (aka Easy) were on Tuesday granted bail by the Police on following the intervention of the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed. They will however be arraigned in court and prosecuted in accordance with the laws of the land. Yusuf was said to have been arrested in his home village in Kaduna state while the Zakka was picked up at Lungu village.
The two men who were nabbed at separate locations over the weekend for their roles in peddling the false rumour of death and incitement that led to violent protests, blockade of the ever-busy Zuba/Kubwa/Abuja City Express Road resulting in damage of public facilities. The incident took place nearly a fortnight ago.
The bail of Zakka and Yusuf followed the acceptance of an apology tendered by some original inhabitants of Abuja living on the Airport Road axis, officials of National Council for Women Societies (NCWS), FCT Chapter and some officials of Greater Gbagyi Development Association who met with him at his Area 11, Garki office and pleaded for their release. The Minister warned FCT residents against all forms of lawlessness such as blockade of roads and highways in the FCT and peddling of lies with a view to inciting the people and blackmailing the authorities.
Describing the baseless allegations of deaths as callous, the Minister stated that the action demonstrates the extent some people could go to cause disaffection in pursuit of selfish purpose.
The Minister urged the Commissioner of Police to prosecute all those found culpable in the unjustified incitement and warned all residents including original inhabitants not to do anything that will cause disaffection in the society again.
He reiterated the position of FCT Administration not to demolish houses belonging to original inhabitants of FCT that were enumerated and captured in official data, adding that if in the cause of demolition, any of such houses are demolished, adequate remedy would be provided.
He stated that nobody should do anything to hold the entire country to ransom, while warning the original inhabitants to be wary of the people they habour in their various native settlements. According to him, he was aware that some original inhabitants were providing cover to strangers that they could not vouch for.
In his own remarks, the FCT Police Commissioner, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu condemned the false allegations of deaths following the Lungu demolition exercise. He said the Police had done thorough investigation and found the allegations to be totally false. “Up till now, no report has been filed with the Police by anybody about any death as a result of the demolition exercise that took place at Lungu Village,” he stressed. He described the inciting fabrications about death as a criminal offence against God and man.
Mbu also warned all deviant elements against challenging government, stressing that nobody should take the law into his hand.
