Protests in Nasarawa, as Al-Makura moves to avert impeachment

Thugs yesterday blocked major roads in Lafia, Nasarawa State capital, protest­ing the impeachment notice against Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura, who is facing charges of gross mis­conduct by the state House of Assembly.
It took the intervention of soldiers, police and other secu­rity agents before the situation was put under control. There was tension in Lafia as most of the traders in old Lafia mar­ket, along Doma road locked their shops for fear of attack by hoodlums. The embattled governor, Umaru Tanko Al-makura, left Lafia on Tuesday evening for Abuja in order to save his job as contacts were established through traditional rulers from the state to meet with President Goodluck Jon­athan over the issue.
Daily Sun investigation re­vealed that the political thugs were supposed to carry out their protest on Tuesday but because they were not given money by the organisers they had postponed it to Wednes­day in order to get financial backing from the government.
Police Public Relations Of­ficer (PPRO), Nasarawa State Police Command, Umar Nu­man could not be reached on phone when our correspondent called. Meanwhile, people were going about their normal businesses in some parts of Lafia as security agents were seen patrolling major streets in Lafia. In the same vein, women in their thousands were seen moving along major streets in Lafia protesting the alleged impeachment move on governor Al-makura, although none of them volunteered to talk to journalists, they ex­pressed their grievances with members of the Assembly, whom they accused of plot­ting to remove the governor from office despite his won­derful performances within three years in office.