High Food Prices: Peaceful Protests In Osun, Taraba, Other States…3 Feared Dead In Kaduna… Curfews In Kano, Yobe As Kwara Lives Up To Its Nickname
Residents of Abia state shunned the hunger protest that began across the country on Thursday and rather chose to stay indoors.
It was gathered that there was electricity supply in major areas of the state capital while there was also an early morning rain that began at 4:30 am, and this made the residents stay indoors.
‘The rain worked in our favour, not only for Abians but the south-east’ a resident of the state ,Chika Nwoke, submitted on Thursday. “
In Umuahia, there was no unusual gathering and there were no protests, some shops were however closed, including commercial banks.
Recall that the state Commissioner of Police, Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, had said the police were prepared to ensure a peaceful protest in the state.
In Osun state, residents of Osogbo, the state capital, marched through the streets to protest against high food prices.
They took off from the Freedom Park , while their leaders later addressed journalists at the Olaiya Junction.
The protesters carried a large banner with the inscriptions, ‘End bad governance in Nigeria,’ and sang protest songs while lamenting economic hardships.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Osun state Coordinator of the Coalition of Concern Nigeria Citizen, Adetunji Ajala, demanded that the pump price of petrol should return to N180 .
‘Hunger, poverty and bad policy of this administration are affecting all of us. We are here not because of any political affiliation, not because anybody has given us money. What we have here is a reflection that people are displeased.
The youth population is the largest and they are the ones suffering most. The office of the citizen is the highest in the land.
We are not afraid of anybody. What we have come to do is to exercise our rights’ he said.
In Jalingo, Taraba state capital, the protest was led by young Nigerians aged between 8 and 13 , they took to the streets of Jalingo and chorused ‘Bamu ai, bamu ai’ which means ‘We don’t agree, we don’t agree’ ,
The protest began at the popular Hamaruwa Way from where they left for the flyover bridge.
The protesters were closely monitored by security agents including cops and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) officials.
In Ondo, the Sunshine state, there was no protest and a man, who had sought to do this ,was attacked by an angry mob.
The man, Mr Paul, reportedly drove to the popular NEPA Roundabout Akure, parked his car and placed a placard on it.
Some young people later approached him and asked why he was doing that and having gotten no satisfactory explanation, they began to flog him.
He was later rescued and he hurriedly left the place.
In Kano state, a violent protest was recorded as hoodlums vandalized and looted the Nigeria Communication Commission Industrial Park project that was recently completed.
The protesters left there with looted items, including computers, furniture, and electronics and later set fire to the industrial park.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, has described this development as sad and unfortunate.
‘Sad to learn that our Digital Innovation Park project in Kano slated for inauguration next week to support our technical talent accelerator (3MTT) has been set ablaze and looted by protesters.
Alongside #3MTT, this building is set to host our buildathon holiday maker programme for secondary school kids starting next week’ he submitted on X.
Governor Abba Yusuf, had since declared a 24-hour curfew noting that this was done to safeguard lives and preserve public and private property.
‘The imposition of this curfew is a necessary measure to restore order and ensure the safety of our communities.
It is paramount that we protect our citizens from further harm and preserve the sanctity of our state’s institutions and businesses’ the governor’s spokesman, Sunusi Tofa, submitted in a statement he issued in Kano on Thursday.
Borno state government has also declared a 24-hour curfew but this was because of the deadly bomb incident that was recorded in Konduga area on Wednesday in which more than 15 people were killed.
The explosion, believed to have been caused by a suspected suicide bomber, targeted a market in Kawori community, located about 50 kilometres from Maiduguri.
‘In view of the constitutional mandate of the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security and law enforcement agencies toward preservation of law and order in the state.
You are all aware of the incident that took place at Kawori which was the detonation of improvise explosive device ordinance, which led to the deaths of (16) persons while several others were critically injured and on admission across various government hospitals in the state.
In line with our constitutional mandate towards the restoration of law and order, His Excellency the Executive Governor of Borno state, Prof. Babagana Umar Zulum, in consultation with heads of security in the state, finds it’s expedient to declare 24hrs curfew in the state with immediate effect.
I therefore wish to call upon the good people of Borno state to remain calm and law- abiding. Further developments will be communicated to you accordingly please’ spokesman for the state police command, DSP Kenneth Daso, submitted in a statement he issued on behalf of the police commissioner on Thursday.
In Yobe state, there were violent protests in some parts of the state, and the state government had since announced a 24-hour curfew in Potiskum, Gashua and Nguru .
Recall that seven mass transit buses were burnt in Potiskum by the protesters on Thursday
‘The Yobe state Government has considered the security situation in Potiskum, Gashua, and Nguru towns where some hoodlums are taking advantage of the protest to vandalize and loot government and private property’ Governor Mai Buni ‘s Special Adviser on Security Matters , retired General Dahiru Abdussallam, submitted in a statement he issued in Damaturu to announce the curfew on Thursday.
In Sokoto state , the protest was held by some young people but no violent scene was recorded.
Protesters were seen at the Round Meruwa Roundabout and the Sultan’s palace and they appealed to the Federal Government to review its economic policies.
Spokesman for the state police command, ASP Ahmed Rufai, later disclosed that over 81 people were arrested and taken into custody adding that the people in question had planned to use the protest as an opportunity to carry out criminal activities.
In Kaduna state, the protest that began on a peaceful note later turned violent , 3 young people were feared dead while several others were injured.
The protesters, who apparently outnumbered the security agents, had left the Rigasa area for the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, the official residence and office of the governor before the protest turned violent.
In the meanwhile, Governor Uba Sani has described media reports claiming that he had placed Kaduna under curfew as untrue .
The governor who made this clarification in a Facebook post on Thursday , noted that the situation is under control.
‘No curfew has been imposed in Kaduna as we speak. Everything is under control’ he submitted.
In Rivers state, Governor Siminalayi Fubara had a bad encounter with the protesters at the Port Harcourt Government House on Thursday.
‘I thank you for being peaceful. I thank you for coming. I feel your pain. I want to assure you that I will deliver your message to the president.
Here in Rivers state, we will do everything to make life better. But all we need from you is to support the Federal Government. We know there is hunger but just be patient with the government. I will give you a small thing for you to drink pure water’ the governor had submitted while addressing the protesters in the frontage of Government House.
The ‘pure water’ comments however got the protesters infuriated and they chorused, ‘No, no. We don’t need your money, ‘ keep your money, we want good governance in Nigeria, Tinubu must go’.
The #EndBadGovernance protests also turned violent in Katsina state on Thursday while some hoodlums used the opportunity to loot properties.
Team@orientactualmags.com learned that several people were feared dead while miscreants looted shops and vandalized properties.
In the North Central, Kwara state lived up to its nickname ‘State of Harmony’ on Thursday as there was no violent scene anywhere in the state while the designated location for the protesters, the Metropolitan Park did not also record any serious activity.
Though some residents had initially stayed indoors and hesitated to leave their homes over security fears, they however overcame these fears and began to go about their business and no ugly incident was recorded in any part of the state.
Making an appraisal of the ‘Day One’ of the nationwide protest, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr Kayode Egbetokun, condemned the looting, destruction of properties, and attempts to ‘occupy’ government buildings among others during the protests.
Egbetokun, who presided over a press conference in Abuja on Thursday night, noted that there were destruction of properties in Kano, Borno, Yobe, Kaduna, Gombe, Bauchi, Niger, and Jigawa states ,ditto Abuja.
‘Regrettably, events in some major cities today showed that what was being instigated was mass uprising and looting, not protest. Those who were at the forefront of promoting the idea of the protest were not around to lead it. Hoodlums have been let loose on innocent Nigerians and their hard-earned businesses and property looted and destroyed.
The motive of the rioters was to loot and destroy both private and government property. The destruction so far has been mind-boggling. There has been destruction of properties in Kano, Borno, Yobe, Kaduna, Gombe, Bauchi, FCT Abuja, Niger, Jigawa. Police stations have been destroyed, there have been attempts to take over government houses, looting of government infrastructures, several warehouses and shops have so far been looted and, in several instances, destroyed.’ he said.
Going forward, the police will according to him do whatever it takes to ensure safety of lives and property.
‘In the light of the current situation, the Nigeria Police Force has placed all units on red alert. Our officers are fully mobilized and prepared to respond swiftly and decisively to public safety and order.”
The red bands we are wearing signify that our command is on high alert. Those claiming they were not served court orders must understand that serving faceless individuals is challenging. Their threats were made on social media, and they were served through the same platform.”
Despite the refusal of the protesters, for instance in FCT to adhere to a court order requesting that protest in Abuja should be at the National Stadium, they trooped to the streets, and yet the police provided security for them. At no point did we breach their fundamental rights even as they breached the court order.
In places like FCT, Kaduna, Kano and Gombe, among others, we recorded incidents of unprovoked attacks on security personnel, where one policeman has been reported murdered and others seriously injured’ he added-Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com. Thank you
