…President Tinubu Addresses the Nation on Sunday Determined to halt the #EndBadGovernance protest in the nation’s capital, the Nigeria Police Force detained several protesters at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja despite the venue being approved for the demonstration. Unfortunately, a young boy was shot and killed by Police operatives in the Kubwa area of the
…President Tinubu Addresses the Nation on Sunday
Determined to halt the #EndBadGovernance protest in the nation’s capital, the Nigeria Police Force detained several protesters at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja despite the venue being approved for the demonstration. Unfortunately, a young boy was shot and killed by Police operatives in the Kubwa area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Saturday.
Hearkening to the loud cries of Nigerians, President Tinubu will on Sunday address the nation in a broadcast scheduled for 7:00 am. The broadcast is expected to address some of the issues raised in the prolonged national protests which have gone violent in some states. A statement by Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity) said the broadcast will be repeated on the network services of the NTA and the FRCN at 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm on Sunday.
The shooting of the young boy occurred near Zenith Bank in Kubwa, according to several accounts. Witnesses at the scene reported that the boy was not participating in the protests but was merely passing by when the incident happened.
Activist and lawyer, Barr. Deji Adeyanju condemned the shooting as an act of “unprovoked murder” and criticized the Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun and his officers for their actions, stating, that “IGP Kayode Egbetokun and his bloodthirsty men should be held accountable for the murder of this innocent young boy, who was simply observing the protest.”
However, the boy’s photograph was not available to further validate the claim of his death by the eyewitnesses and Comrade Deji Adeyanju.
But the protests continued in Abuja as the protesters gathered at the court-directed venue of the protest around 10:50 am when Mr. Ishyaku Shuaibu, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) addressed them. Later, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the police reportedly shot rounds of live ammunition and tear gas to disperse the protesters and journalists covering the ongoing protests in Abuja.
The DSS officials, masked and in black uniforms, arrived in several Toyota Sienna vans and started shooting live rounds at the peaceful demonstrators at the MKO Abiola Stadium. This was shortly after the heavily armed police officers stationed at the main entrance of the stadium fired tear gas at the protesters. Several protesters were harassed and arrested.
An official of the DSS, at 12:15 pm wearing a black mask, cracked his rifle and moved toward journalists covering the protests. Then he started firing. The pellets of the bullets rattled the windscreen of one Sienna vehicle, while three bullets pierced the trunk of the car conveying PREMIUM TIMES correspondents deployed to cover the protests.
One of the protesters said: “We came here to demand better governance peacefully, but the police responded with violence.” Another protester lamented that they were also prevented from using the stadium on Friday. “The police continuously shot in the air and fired tear gas, scaring many of us away,” the protester said.
Noticeably, the number of protesters reduced significantly on Saturday compared to the first two days of the protest. It took over five hours to mobilize a sufficient crowd on Saturday before the police dispersed the protesters.
However, the looting in some of the states in the north, coupled with the violence, is discouraging many. In several states across the northern part of the country, the protests in some states were hijacked by street urchins and miscreants thus turning it violent and forcing state governors of Kano, Jigawa, and Borno to declare curfews.
Also, several clerics used the Friday Jumat sermon to dissuade people from continuing the protests.
Kano state
Operatives of the Kano State Police Command on Saturday launched a house-to-house search in a bid to recover some of the items stolen during the #EndBadGovernance protest in Kano on Thursday.
The protest, which started on a peaceful note, was hijacked by suspected hoodlums, who embarked on a looting spree raiding stores, houses, and government establishments, such as the yet-to-be-commissioned office of the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), where they carted away furniture, electronic items, among others.
The mob also vandalized street lights and other items used to decorate public places. However, the police, which swung into action and arrested over 400 suspects, recovered some of the items.
Ms. Sa’adatu Baba Ahmad, a social media user, had posted updates on how policemen stormed the Yakasai and Durumin Zungura areas in Kano Municipal to recover the items. She wrote, “Since 10:30 am, looted items are being recovered from the houses of people who stole properties of the government and innocent people in the name of protest. Up till now, they are there invading the houses.”
At a briefing on Friday, the Kano Police Command reiterated its commitment to ensure that perpetrators of the mayhem that broke out during the protest are brought to book.
Plateau state
In Jos, the capital of Plateau State, the old airport roundabout was on Saturday abuzz with activities as protesters reconvened for the third consecutive day, demanding good governance and a review of government policies.
As of 8:40 am, more protesters were still arriving, swelling the ranks of those already gathered. The atmosphere despite the cold in the city was electric, with protesters chanting slogans and waving placards that highlight their demands for better leadership.
The protesters are undeterred by the early morning cold which has failed to dampen their spirits. They were resolute in their determination to push for a government that prioritizes the people’s needs.
The protesting youths that blocked the Jos-Bauchi road, causing chaos and molesting passers-by bye continued on Saturday. The police were quickly alerted to the situation and swung into action, dispatching a team of officers to the scene to disperse the protesters and restore order.
Mr. Alfred Alabo, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state confirmed the incident stressing: “We received a distress call and immediately dispatched our officers to the scene. We were able to disperse the protesters and restore order”.
Jigawa state
Some protesters in Jigawa returned to the streets in continuation of their protest despite the 24-hour curfew imposed by the state government on Saturday. The Jigawa Police Command’s spokesperson, Mr. Lawan Shiisu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) said no fewer than 50 suspected hoodlums were arrested after Thursday’s protest.
Mr. Shiisu, who also confirmed the return of the protesters to the streets in Zai, Shuwarin, and Gumel town, could not immediately give figures of those arrested on Friday for violating the imposed curfew order in the state. He said that the police and other security agencies were on top of the situation in the state, adding that the combined security forces had succeeded in dispersing the hoodlums from the streets.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA)has condemned the mass looting, vandalism, and destruction of government, and private properties during the #EndBadGovernance protest in Jigawa State. The NBA chairperson in the state, Mustapha Kashim, in a statement on Saturday, said the destruction was carried out by hoodlums masquerading as protesters.
