Gombe govt begs for calm as trigger-happy policeman shoots tanker driver

A trigger happy policeman in Gombe state has shot a tanker driver in the Dukku area along Gombe-Darazo Express Way due to a “misunderstanding”.

The Commissioner for Information, Julius Ishaya, and his Internal Security and Ethical Orientation counterpart, Adamu Kupto, confirmed the incident to newsmen on Monday.

Ishaya said the officer involved has been disarmed and the tanker driver, who survived the gunshot, is currently receiving treatment in a medical facility in the metropolis.

He also added that efforts were ongoing to assuage tanker drivers who, in protest of their colleague getting shot, had locked down the federal route.

According to the Commissioner, the police had commenced an investigation to ascertain the real cause of the incident, calling aggrieved parties to exercise patience pending the outcome of the inquiry.

Ishaya said, “The incident is between a policeman and a tanker driver at a checkpoint around the Hashidu Junction in Dukku Local Government. This misunderstanding between the policeman and the tanker driver led to the shooting of the driver by the policeman.

“Because the tanker driver was shot, other tanker drivers went to block Gombe-Darazo Road. This prevented commuters from passing through the road. As we speak now the policeman has been disarmed, under arrest by the police authorities. The victim, fortunately, did not die and was immediately taken to the hospital somewhere in the state capital.

He noted that the government had rallied relevant organisations towards ensuring that the aftermath of the shooting was mitigated.