Protesters of the nationwide hunger protest have grounded business activities in Gombe State, just as they attempted to break the Gombe Government House gates.
Consequently, hundreds of residents in the state have joined the protest to demand the reversal of fuel subsidies and an end to bad governance.
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The scenes at the Government House is similar to other locations in the state metropolis, where people thronged on to the streets and major highways to vent their frustration over skyrocketing fuel prices, other commodities and bad governance.
The protesters who poured into the streets as early as 9:am, have brought traffic in major locations of the metropolis to a standstill, forcing commuters to find alternative routes or navigate through the protesters on foot.
The protesters at the scene told newsmen that the protest is to demand for the government to reverse the unpopular fuel subsidy policies that have driven prices to record highs.
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One of the protesters said, “The government have left us struggling to feed our families and look for ways to survive, with the cost of living continuously on the rise and the leaders are doing nothing to address it. We cannot continue like this, bad governance have plagued the country for far too long.
“We need a change, this system of government is not favouring us, everything about the government is anti-masses, after several years of independence we still lack basic services and amenities to live a quality life.”
Our correspondent, who monitored the situation in Gombe, reports that the protesters attempted forced entry into the Government House, a situation which compelled the security forces to fire tear gas canisters, as the youths became more aggressive.
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Daily Telescope reports that at the time of filing this report, normalcy is slowly returning to the town, as security were able to disperse the protesters and contain the situation from escalating to other parts of the state.
In an interview with newsmen shortly after accessing the level of destruction, Commissioner of Police, CP Hayatu Usman urged people to remain calm, saying the police have increased their personnel earlier stationed at strategic locations in the state, to ensure the maintaining of law and order in the state.
