Robbers snatch teachers’ salaries in Yobe state

Unidentified gunmen today carted away with salaries of primary school teachers in Gujba Local Government area of Yobe state, North East Nigeria.

The council chairman Alhaji Kyari Batarama who confirmed the incident to our correspondent in the state, Jonathan Gopep, said adequate arrangements were made for the payment in Buni-Yadi, the headquarters but wonder why it was later shifted to Goneri another major town in the Local Government where the robbers made the successful operation.

The chairman said the payment in the headquarters under his arrangement with adequate security was done successfully but expressed sadness that payment for other schools was transferred to Goneri contrary to the earlier arrangements that the payment be made centrally at the headquarters.

Alhaji Kyari Batarama said the amount carried away by the robbers will be known by tomorrow as he has not been adequately briefed on the incident.

He disclosed that investigation will be carried out over the unfortunate development  to know why the initial decision was changed as well as know how much was carted away as soon as work resumes tomorrow.

An eyewitness account told our correspondent on phone that three gunmen came on a motorcycle and shot sporadically in the air scaring people away as they took the salaries and went away freely.

Speaking on whether anybody was killed in the operation, the source, said no one was even wounded but the accountant was manhandled by the robbers.

Yobe State Police Commissioner, Patrick Egbuniwe said he has not got any report on the incident but wondered why the officials would be making table payment on a Sunday in the era of electronic payment.

The recent incident is the third in a roll in the state as robbers have made similar snatches at Fune and Potiskum local Government Areas.