By Our Correspondent
Gombe, Nigeria – Residents of Federal low-cost, Dan Haraga Street in the Gombe Metropolis are mostly easy-going people.
Most of them are elderly and usually stay indoors either in retirement or quiet enjoyment of life.
Reports had it that they woke up one nice morning in November 2022 to find the police station located nearby completely empty and appeared abandoned. The Policemen, their vehicle and even the Nigerian flag had been removed.
Just a few days later, residents were to observe that there were other occupants of the police station who were not regular policemen. They were dressed in green uniforms, armed.
In hushed tones, resident began to say that these were the armed vigilante or civil defence sent there by the Gombe state government to maintain the law.
When our reporter began to investigate, there were even more startling revelations as to the true identity of these uniformed group who had occupied the police station on Dan Haraga.
Residents told our correspondent that they were the dreaded group known as the Kalare, notorious for dispensing terror and unleashing mayhem in Gombe.
Residents now live in fear in Gombe and its environs. Alltimepost.com was informed that at midnight, the green uniformed vigilante often fire gun shots into the air, apparently to establish their presence, something the police who were once there never did. In an environment once known to be a quiet and peaceful, residents are now in panic mode.
On the 3rd day of December 2022, residents were to awake to the sight of another set of policemen occupying the Dan Haraga police post.
The Nigerian flag had been replaced, together with the Hilux van. Residents told our correspondent via phone in Abuja that this replacement was done secretly, and at night.
Puzzled residents have no way of knowing why regular policemen within the vicinity were first taken away, replaced by a vigilante group, and then replaced by another set of men and officers.
As elections draw near, there has been a spate of violence being perpetrated by unknown elements, with heightened anxiety and fear.
Alltimepost.com contacted Gombe state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mu’azu Abubakar via his twitter handle, @MaheedMuazu. At the time of filing this story, there was no response from him.
