By Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA—THE House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee investigating the alleged cases of harassment, intimidation and gross breach of constitutional rights of indigenes and residents of Bauchi State, yesterday, summoned the Secretary to State Government, SSG, and the Chief of Staff to the Governor to appear on Thursday, February 16, to react to the allegations.

Also invited alongside the duo are the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Affairs as well as the Special Adviser on Student Matters and they were told to submit their memoranda before the date.

House of Representatives

Recall that the former governor of the state, Mallam Isa Yuguda, and many others had petitioned the Gabriel Onyenwife-led Ad hoc Committee, accusing the state Police Command of colluding with the state government to harass and intimidate residents of the state perceived to be political opponents.

However, appearing before the Committee yesterday, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Zaki, explained that his actions were security measures taken to safeguard the life and property of the former governor and the state at large, considering intelligence reports at the command’s disposal, prevailing security threats in the state and the letter from the former governor where he (Yuguda) cited “apparent insecurity in Bauchi, threat of Boko Haram re-establishing their presence in the state and also the hostility of the state government.”

Chairman of the Committee, Gabriel Onyenwife, who promised to give everybody fair hearing, frowned at the absence of key functionaries of the Bauchi State government.

On the alleged harassment of people, especially those who submitted petitions against the police, Onyenwife said: “The CP should call his men to order. There should be no harassment, no intimidation of citizens.”