By John Bulus, Gombe
For several years, The Reverend Reuben Yaro, served the Lord in Kaduna and Sokoto as a pastor of the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA). But two years ago, he was back in his home state of Gombe.

Rev ReubenYaro behind is Kampala Hotel

Today, Yaro, 45, married with three children and having 10 dependants, has only a pair of trousers and singlet he can call his own after all he had laboured for went with the fire set in his house on Monday by hoodlums protesting the victory of President Goodluck Jonathan in last week’s election.

Not even his Holy Bible, could be rescued from the house. At the moment, his wife and children are refugees at the Army barracks in Gombe.

His story: “Actually, it was yesterday (Monday April 18, 2011) around 9am to 10 am we were inside after we had taken breakfast. I asked some men who were with me to go and change. As they were going, within 10 minutes, some hoodlums emerged from different directions, and started chanting Islamic quotes, throwing stones at the house and the church.

Before I knew what was happening, they had set the church ablaze, set my car ablaze. We had to run away. It was my trousers and singlet that I survived with. This morning (Tuesday, April 19), I had to buy tooth brush. No Bible, nothing. It’s very painful”.

His neighbor, a retiree, Mr. Daniel Samburu, 65, who hails from the same Biliri local government area had his rented building also razed down. He had gone to attend a burial ceremony while his wife was away to work when distress calls came from his neighbors about the incident at home.

By the time he got back home the entire building was up in flames. “There is nothing I can do now. I totally depend on God”, he said, as his wife and two available children parked the remnants of their belonging saved by their neighbors in a van ready to relocate to their home town in Biliri local government area of the state.

The situation was not different for Mr. Eugene Igwe from Imo state but has lived in Gombe for over 30 years. His residence at Dawaki Quarters and a car were burnt down while his wife was given a machete cut on the face.

A father of seven children, Mr. Igwe who has his wife and children living in the Army Barracks, Gombe at the moment said “I feel like the world has ended. I don’t know what to do. I’m just waiting for God”.

These are tales from some victims of the violence that erupted in Gombe State. By last Snday, about 2,000 people had been displaced on account of the violence. Some of them had their houses burnt down, while others were targets of the irate youths.

They depend largwely on the bread and sachet water donated to them by the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN in the state.

Some of them have not taken their bath for two days and or eaten good food.

About 11 persons were said to have been locked up in the house of the PDP state Chairman, Mr. Jack Gumpy and burnt beyond recognition.

How it all started Voting on the presidential election day had ended peacefully in Gombe. But just when the votes were being counted, some youths described as supporters of CPC’s presidential candidate, General Mohammadu Buhari launched a violent protest agaisnt alleged rigging by the ruling PDP. They began targeting PDP members and non-Muslims.

At Sabon Line, a popular area in the metropolis, hotels such as Central, Kampala and Gombe City were burnt down. At the INEC headquarters in Gombe, they vandalised cars and a laptop belonging to a staff of the Commission was stolen.

To escape death, everyone in the premises including reaporters had  to join in the Buhari, ya Chi ( Buhari has won) chants. By Monday, the roads were deserted as more terror was unleashed on innocent and unsuspecting members of the public.

Not even the curfew announced by the state Police command could stop the boys until the deployment of Army troops who have now restored peace and order in the state.