By Suleiman Umaru, Lateef Adegbite and Elizabeth Chukwuma
With the recent Statement issued by Olamilare Adenola, Director of Mobilization, of Take It Back Movement, prior to the planned ‘’End Bad Governance protest against Hunger and Hardship slated for Thursday, August 1, 2024, that it had been potponed to October 1, 2024, and the warning by Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector General of Police, IGP, that ”arsonists and troublemakers would be dealt with decisively”, many had expected the aggrieved Youths to sheath their sword.
The aggrieved Youths, particular, those from the northern part of the country may have seen the August 1, date, earlier set for the protest as an opportunity to confront the security agencies operatives and further vent their anger on public and private properties over the harsh economic situations of the country.
The protest, which was said to have become very violent in the ancient town of Kano and Sokoto, a state in the north western geopolitical region , under the siege of the Bandits Group fighters . It was not different from the north eastern state of Borno, under the siege of the Islamic Fundamentalist Group, BokoHaram and the Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, where the violence was loss of lives and destruction of public and private properties.
The protesters who were said to be boiling with rage in Kano, may have sent a message to the security agencies personnel that they are out to fully confront them as protesters did in Nairobi, Capital of the East African country of Kenya over a tax hike recently.
In spite of the fact that there was tight security mounted at the newly built Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, under the close watch of Aminu Maida, Industrial Park in the ancient city, the protesters in their large number were said to have found their way into the park and successfully looted it.
The multi-billion naira Information Communication Technology ICT, centre, which was said to have been scheduled for commissioning next week, by Bosu Tijani, minister of Communications and Digital Economy, next week, according to an eyewitness account was set ablaze by the hoodlums after looting it.
The unrest in Kano, not only saw the NCC Industrial Park being looted and razed, but part of the Audu Bako Secretariat , including the state High Court, were also looted and set on fire to call the bluff of the IGP, who was said to have directed his anti-riot policemen to deal decisively with the arsonists and trouble makers.
The aggrieved Kano protesters, who were said to have also attacked other establishments in the state such as supermarkets and Mosques, were aid to have carted away office desktop computers, keyboards, and other valuable appliances including chairs before setting the facilities on fire.
Abba Yusuf, the New Nigerian People’s Party, NNPP, governor of the state, described in political circles as Senator Rabiu Kwankwanso godson, , who incidentally was a former governor of the state to have declared a 24-hour curfew across the state to force the hoodlums to vacate the streets of the ancient city . The Protesters were said to have been teargased by the anti-riot policemen carrying out their legitimate duties to disperse and prevent the End Bad Governance against hunger and hardship protesters from throwing ‘’the state into anarchy’’.
Muyiwa Adejobi, an Assistant Commissioner of Police and Force spokesperson had said that both not for the intervention of the anti-riot policemen who had used teargas to disperse the unruly hoodlums who had taken over the streets of Kano, in their large number, they would have ‘’wreaked more havoc’’.
The good news was that the anti-riot policemen may have obeyed the Rule of Engagement in wars as the Force spokesperson had reportedly said that ‘’no live ammunition was fired at the crowd’ to avoid loss of lives.
In Yobe, one of the poorest state in the Nigeria and under the siege of BokoHaram and ISWAP, Insurgents, the aggrieved End Bad Governance protesters were said to have burnt seven mass transit buses in Potiskum, a major Town in the terrorists ravaged state. An eyewitness account had said that damage could have been more than the seven buses that was said to have been set on fire both not for the quick intervention of the anti-riot police to force them out of the Potiskum Local Government Secretariat.
Dungus Abdulkarim, Spokesperson of the Yobe state Police Command may have assured the people of the stae that there was no cause for alarm as’’ the perpetrators of the dastardly act will be brought to justice’’.
Mai Mala Buni, a former acting National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress, APC, and governor of the north eastern state may have taken cue from Gov. Yusuf of Kano state, to impose a 24-hour curfew on The sprawling town of Potiskum including Gashua and Nguru, where some of the hoodlums were said to have taken advantage of the protest to vandalize and loot public and private properties.
Dairy Abdulsalam, Special Adviser to the governor , the on Security, may have gladdened the heart of the people when he disclosed that the security agencies chiefs have been directed to mobilize their officers ‘’to ensure enforcement and full compliance’’ with the curfew order in the three major towns of the state .
Also, a 6pm – 6am, curfew was said to have also been imposed on the Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa, home state of Abdullahi Adamu, incumbent National Chairman of APC, following ‘’the destruction , looting , stealing , high blockade and vandalization’’ that trailed the exercise in Mararraba area, a border town , between the north central state and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, until further notice.
James Thomas, the Local government Chairman, who was said to have imposed the curfew, at the instance of the state governor, had said that the security measure was taken ‘’to ensure that the security of the people of the Local Government area. The curfew was said to given the security agencies operatives the latitude to restrict the movement of people, Okada and Keke riders, motorists and shop owners opening for business in the area.
BokoHaram Insurgents may have taken advantage of the protest in Borno state to plant an Improvised Explosive Device, IED, in a teahouse in Kawuri village in the north eastern state which was said to have exploded and killed 19 people. Described as one of the deadliest operations of the insurgents in the recent years iwhere violence from the grinding Jihadist conflict has been on the decline in the state, may have informed why Operation Hadin Kai, had stepped up their patrol of the state to prevent such future attack in the state.
There may not have been any violence in Katsina, home state of former President Muhammadu Buhari, as the protesters were said to have trooped to his residence in Daura, his home town, lamenting that they were fed up with the hunger and hardship in the country, described by a senior Customs officer in the north as unbearable. They were said to have set up bonfire in front of the former Nigerian President’s house and chanting loudly that the former Lagos state governor has no solution to the crumbling Nigerian economy to attract his attention to come out and possibly address them.
The Daily Trust had reported that it took the intervention of an unidentified person who was said to have out from the former President’s house to address the Youths who were determined to force their way into the house despite the tight security.
The protesters may have been calmed as they were said to have headed straight to Farouk Umar Farouk, the Emir of Daura’s, [Palace but were not lucky, a one of them was said to have shot on the leg by security personnel who were trying to disperse them but the hoodlums refused to back down.
In Jos, the Plateau state Capital, Simon Dalung, a former minister of Youths and Sports Development, during the Buhari’s Adminstration and Isa Elbuba, a cleric, were said to have led the End Bad Governance against hunger and hardship rallies. Both not for the heavy security agents presence on the scene of the rallies to forestall any form of violence which was said to have lasted for several hours, the signs were there there for crisis to erupt.
A participant in the End Bad Governance protest against hunger and hardship in the north central state of Plate had said that the rallies cold have degenerated to violence if the former minister had not asked the security operatives at the scene not to intimidate the protesters, because ‘’the 1999 Constitution , as amended , guarantees the citizens the right to stage peaceful protests’’.
He may have won the heart of the security operatives when he noted that ‘’the suffering currently being faced by Nigerians, in the most populous country in the African Continent is becoming unbearable’’.
Despite planting an IED, in a Borno village, during the Wednesday, August 1, 2024, protest over End Bad Governance against hunger and hardship, Ebun- Olu Adegboruwa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, and Solicitor, to the Take It Back Movement, organisers of the planned protest, had berated the security agents for providing the ammunition for the protesters to resort to violence in Kano and other parts of the country.
Although, the End Bad Governance Protest against Poverty and Hunger, may not have succeeded in the south western states of Lagos, the nation’s Commercial nerve centre, Ogun, yo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo, because Sunday Igboho, the separatist and others like him, had introduced ethnic dimension to the nationwide protests.
He was said to have made his Kits and Kin in the Yoruba race to understand that the August 1, 29024, protests against hunger and hardship was ‘’politically motivated’’ and he handwork of mischief makers ‘’to influence a regime change’’. He had aid on Monday, July 29, 2024, prior to the protests, that the organisers were working ‘’to destablise the country’’, insisting that the Yoruba nation would not be part of the demonstration. He was emphatic that the Yoruba nation will not participate in the protests aimed at using the south western geopolitical region as a battle ground for political upheaval.
The people may have listened to him and Ayo Fayose, a former governor of Ekiti state, who had said that for the eight years of the Buhari’s Administration, when the country’s economy was in a state of comatose, there were no such protests against hunger and hardship or regime change.
Take It Back Movement organized Nationwide protest against hunger and hardship under the Tinubu’s over one year-Administration was said to be a complete failure but for the attempted Jail break at Owerri , the Imo state capital, which was said to have been nipped on the bud by security operatives.
In spite of the fact that the Youths of the south western and south eastern geopolitical regions may not have participated fully in the End Bad Governance protest against hunger and hard , an aggrieved Egbetokun, the IGP, who still have three more years to his retirement with the passage of the Executive Order by the National Assembly to spend his first term in office, which is four years , had said that a policeman was killed and some others injured by the protesters.
The IGP, was said to have further disclosed that some police stations in in major cities and towns in the country were razed by the rampaging protesters, noting that ‘’the protests was characterized by looting and stealing’’. He had said that that there also attempts by the protesters to take over Government House, in some states but lamented that officials of Take It Back Movement, organizers of the protest were not around to lead the rallies .
According to the Police boss, the End Bad Governance Protests which had turned out violent in Kano, Nasarawa, Borno and Yobe ,out the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT, , where the rampaging hoolums burnt vehicles, and looted supermarkets, warehouses and private stores would have been worse, both not for the presence of anti—riot police , across the country.
Going by the plan of the organizers of the End Bad Governance Protect, Take It Back Movement, the protests which had started on Thursday, August, 2024, is scheduled to stretch till August 10, 2024, across all states of the Federation and the FCT. Sowre Omoyele, resident in the North American country of the United States, one of the Organisers of the protest, had said that that he does not need to be physically present in Nigeria for the protest to go on.
