I was attacked as a corps member in Ibadan –Yuguda, Bauchi Governor

The Governor of Bauchi State, Malam Isa Yuguda, stunned journalists at the Government House, Bauchi, on Thursday when he said he too was attacked as a member of the National Youth Service Corps in Ibadan.

Yuguda reasoned that the corps members, who were murdered last week in the state, only fulfilled their destinies.

He spoke just as the rescheduled governorship and National Assembly elections in the state was characterised by low turnout of voters.


Addressing journalists after casting his vote at Shadawanka Primary School, the governor blamed the Independent National Electoral Commission for not providing adequate security for the corps members.

Yuguda was reacting to a question that bordered on the brutal murder of non-indigenes, including at least nine corps members, in his domain when rioters overran the state after President Goodluck Jonathan was declared winner of the presidential election. Over 50 people were reportedly killed during the violence while 90 churches were also burnt.

He said, “They (corps members) were destined to experience what they experienced. Nobody can run away from destiny. When they were serving me, they were the happiest in Nigeria.

“Immediately I handed them over to INEC, it was the responsibility of INEC to protect them. They were not the only ones affected. My own house was burnt; they almost lynched my first son. It is part of their destiny. I was also attacked as a corps member in Ibadan in 1979.

“They were attacked on the services of INEC.”

The governor, who said what happened should not be seen as a reflection of the state, declared that the state should be commended for having the best brains in security management.

He described the development as unfortunate, saying the victims were serving the nation during the attack.

He said, “What happened last week was a tragedy, with the killing of Christians, Muslims, burning of churches, mosques and the destruction of innocent people’s property. But what happened in Bauchi is far less than what happened in some other states. What happened in Bauchi only lasted for one day.”

Meanwhile, the rescheduled governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state was characterised by an extremely low turnout of voters as supporters of opposition parties in the state practically abandoned the polling units for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.

Our correspondent, who went round some of the polling units as early as 8.30am, observed that only a few voters and agents, representing the PDP, came out to participate in the accreditation contrary to the usual crowd that gathered before 7.00am during the previous elections.

The election was generally peaceful and anti-riot policemen were stationed in strategic places in the town to forestall possible breakdown of law and order.

In one of the units located inside Tropical Hotel, our correspondent gathered that as at 9.15am, only about 35 people had been accredited out of 1,110 registered voters.