GOVERNOR KASHIM SHETTIMA
SAN FRANCISCO, September 15, (THEWILL) – Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State on Sunday attended the funeral of the slain Civilian JTF member, Usman Ibrahim Jatto, who was allegedly killed by a policeman at a police checking point in Maiduguri, the state capital, on Saturday.
Shettima, who led a team of the state executive council to the family house of the slain youth vigilante group member, gave a cash compensation of N3.5 million and a gift of three-bedroom flat at the 1,000 housing estate along the Maiduguri/Kano road to the family of the deceased.
The caretaker chairman of Maiduguri Metropolis Council (MMC), Alhaji Abdulkadir Rahis, also gave a N500,000 cash gift to the deceased family.
On Saturday, thousands of youths in Maiduguri, chanting, “police is Boko Haram”, took to the streets to protest the alleged killing of the member of the youth vigilante group by a policeman on patrol along the popular Kano road.
The protest caused traffic gridlock along the major roads for some hours as the Civilian JTF supported by other youths in the town barricaded the road, burning used tyres and wielding dangerous weapons to scare off motorists.
The youths also attempted to burn down the state police headquarters but were repelled by soldiers who assisted the policemen on duty.
A witness said many policemen were beaten up by the youths who descended on any person dressed in police uniform.
The riot was said to have been triggered when the youths who were said to be returning from where they went to arrest some suspected Boko Haram members and were about to hand them over to a military post opposite the Borno Express Transport Company were confronted by two policemen who accused them of violating the traffic law by driving against the traffic.
In the ensuing argument, one of the policemen was said to have threatened to shoot one of the Civilian JTF members and the youth dare him to shoot him, then the policeman pulled the trigger immediately.
The policemen were said to have fled the scene after realising that they have killed the young man but one of the policemen was attacked by the youths who went haywire.
The convoy of Governor Kashim Shettima which ran into the irate youths unaware was equally held up for about 40 minutes as the blockade had to be removed to allow the governor pass .
The convoy ran into the protest when returning from the airport where he had gone to attend the flag off of this year’s Hajj exercise by Vice President Namadi Sambo.
The governor, who had to come down to address the youths, promised to address their grievances.
Addressing some of the youths at the Government House, Governor Kashim Shettima, who said he was saddened by the incident, commiserated with the family of the deceased and promised to pay them a compensation of N3.5 million.
He also said that he will personally attend the burial of the youth while tendering his apology to the Civilian JTF.
‘’ We are going to do every thing possible to regain the confidence of the youths, they have done a lot in restoring peace to the state,’’ he said.
Speaking when he paid a condolence visit to the family of the deceased on Sunday morning said he understood why the youths took to the streets on Saturday to protest the killing of one of them.
He said they did it out of provocation and that it was right of them to show their annoyance through the protest.
The governor, who sympathised with the family however cautioned the volunteer youths to be law abiding and asked that should they have any grievance it should be channeled to the appropriate authority.
About 2000 volunteer youths were at the burial and later at the residence of the parents of the deceased to pay condolence.
The chairman of the sector, Bulumkutu area, where Jatto was killed, had apologised for the misconduct of the youths which stopped the convoy of the governor for over 40 minutes.
Some of the youths, who spoke to journalists, praised the governor for his good heart and timely intervention as they stressed that action of the governor will go a long way in encouraging them to put their lives on the line to bring back peace to the troubled state.
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