Sundiata Post – The nationwide hardship protest commenced and witnessed violence in several parts of the country, including Yobe, Gombe, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kano and Borno states, yesterday.
The protests dubbed ’10 days of rage’ with the hashtag #EndBadGovernance organised to draw attention of the government to the biting hunger in the country was particularly bloody in Suleja, Niger State, where at least six youths were shot dead by security operatives. According to reports, over 15 others, who reportedly sustained varying degrees of bullet wounds, are in critical condition and have been taken to different health facilities in the area, including Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital, for treatment.
Trouble started when youths defied the early morning rain to assemble at the Suleja Old Motor Park for the protest. The police Area Commander, leading a team of riot police, attempted to disperse them. The youths reportedly resisted the police directives to vacate the area, insisting that their protest was peaceful and within the bounds of the law.
The police team was said to have released teargas in an attempt to disperse the protesters. This action angered the youths, who maintained they had no intention of violence.
The youths began hauling stones, sticks, and other objects at the police. In the process, they vandalised a police vehicle attached to the Area Commander’s office (registration number NPF 9102C).
The youths then followed the police to the Area Commander’s office and attempted to storm the station but were prevented by heavily armed officers.
The confrontation escalated, resulting in the police using live ammunition. “I can tell you that the number of those who sustained bullet injuries are more than 15, and we don’t know if they will survive it,” the source disclosed.
Miffed by the killings, the youths burnt down the Tafa Local Government secretariat. Details of the extent of the destruction were sketchy as at the time of filing this report, but multiple sources said the fire touched a major part of the secretariat and was seriously vandalized with properties looted.
The state police command public relations officer Wasiu Abiodun confirmed the burning down of the local government secretariat, saying “the hoodlums vandalized the Secretariat, partly setting it ablaze, two cars were also burnt and two other vandalised. But he was silent on the deaths but merely said some hoodlums were arrested.
In the Lekki area of Lagos, anti-riot policemen drawn from the RRS deployed at the Admiralty Lekki Phase 1 Toll Gate fired canisters of teargas to restore normalcy following an attempted eruption of violent protest.
Some protesters had gathered in the area in spite of a court order restricting protest and banning protesters within the vicinity.
A Lagos High Court had on July 31, 2024, restricted protesters taking part in the nationwide protest to the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota and Peace Park in Ketu area of the state.
The court presided over by Justice Emmanuel Ogundare ordered the restriction following a preemptive ex parte application filed by the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Lawal Pedro.
•Tension in Buhari’s home
There were also reports that irate protesters stormed the home of former president, Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, his hometown in Katsina State.
The mob which attempted to break into the residence of the former president said they were fed up with the economic situation in the country.
According to reports, they set up a bonfire in front of the former President’s house and were chanting loudly, “Bama yi! Bama yi! Bama yi, meaning we don’t want to.
It took the intervention of an unidentified person who came out of Buhari’s residence to address the angry youths. The person, according to the witness, asked the mob to select one person to speak, while he would be recorded and the video shown to the Nigerian leader.
After this, the angry youths reportedly headed for the palace of the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Farouk Umar Farouk.
One of them was reportedly shot on the leg by security operatives who were trying to disperse them but the protesters refused to back down. A resident of Daura said: “I was at my place of work organising a speech and prize event for our students when the protest began. I was briefed about what happened. I learnt that the protesters took to the residences of former President Muhammadu Buhari, the Emir of Daura and Magajin Garin Daura.
“While returning home from my place of work, I moved through the residence of Alhaji Musa Uba, the Magajin Gari, a senior traditional title holder in the Emirate, and can confirm that some minor damages had been done there. He was reportedly against the protest and that could be the reason the protesters attacked his house. They threw stones at the house but the situation was contained by security operatives. The palace of the Emir is being guarded by the army and police. As we speak, Daura is calm.”
There were also skirmishes in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, where the police fired teargas to disperse protesters.
However, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned the pockets of violence that characterised the protests across the country.
It accused the Federal Government of mismanaging the protests “by spending weeks attempting to muzzle the fundamental rights of citizens to protest peacefully.
Its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, condemned the government for disallowing the peaceful protesters from gaining constructive access into the Eagle squares in Abuja “whereas political thugs are freely allowed into the same venue whenever a political party controlling theFederal Government is staging conventions.”
According to him, President Tinubu should have asked the relevant authority in the country’s capital to give unimpeded access to the peaceful protesters led by an organised structure instead of shooting teargas canisters at the citizens who were making their ways into the complex.
Meanwhile, interstate transport activities across the country were hampered as most transport companies did not operate.
Correspondent, who visited some motor parks, reports that their activities were paralysed.
At the popular Mazamaza Motor Park, where almost all transport companies operate, no activity took place.
Vehicles were not loading and commuters were not seen.
Offices of the Young Shall Grow Transport Company and the Peace Mass Transit at the park were closed.
Only a few people were seen sitting and talking about the protest at the ever-busy park.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of ABC Transport Plc., Mr Jude Nneji, said the company would watch the security situation before putting its vehicles on the roads.
He said that the company would not want to endanger the lives of travellers.
Attendants at the God is Good Motors and Libra Transport Company on Okota Road also state that the companies did not sell tickets.(NAN)
