By Suleiman Umaru and Lateef Adegbite
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was billed to meet with members of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, on Monday, August 5, 2024 but suddenly changed his mind at the last the last minute . Instead, he had met with Vice President Kashim Shetima, service Chefs , Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser,NSA, Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector General of Police, IGP, Bashir Adewwale Adeniyi, Comptroller General, Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Kemi Nnanna Nandap, Comptroller General, Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS and Femi Gbaabiamila, the Chief of Staff, to the President and who incidentally was Speaker of 9th House of Representatives, during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration.
The high level of destructions in some parts of the north as a result of the End Bad Governance against Hunger and Hardship protests organized by Take It Back Movement linked to Omoyele Sowere, a former Presidential Candidate of African Action Congress, AAC, in the February 25, 2023 and others in diaspora, may have encouraged the Nigerian President to hold the closed door security meeting with the VP, service Chiefs, NSA, and the other security agencies chiefs.
Given that most of the End Bad Governance protest operates in diaspora may have informed why the NIS Authorities have placed them on its ‘’watch list’’. Nandap, the NIS, Comptroller General had said that the watch-listed individuals would be arrested at any of the country’s International airports on arrival. As a prelude to arresting the watch listed persons, which many believe included Sowere, may have informed why the NIS Authorities have deployed more personnel bot at the nation’s Land border stations and airports to ensure effective manning of those entry points.
Christopher Mustapha, an Army General and Chief of Defense staff, CDS, may have taken advantage of the security meeting to reassure Nigerians that ‘’the military has accepted democracy, meaning that’’ regime change would not be allowed’’.
The CDS, had said that the security agencies chiefs had used opportunity provided by the meeting to brief the President on the situation on ground in the country since the protests started on Thursday, August 1, 2024, and now, stating that’’ all the agencies have been working closely together’’.
The Army General , who may have spoken the mind of the other security agencies chiefs had aid that initially when the protest started , the organisers had created the impression that it was a peaceful one but it may have slipped out of their hands as hoodlums were said to have hijacked it to wreak havoc on public and private properties.
An aggrieved CDS, who could not hide his feelings had sad that the ‘’criminals who have taken over the protests, particular, in the northern part of the country have resorted ‘’to looting and stealing’’. The looting, of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Industrial park in Kano, supermarkets, shops, stealing and all other sorts of crimes happening in different parts of the north speaks volume.
The protests appears to have become very worrisome in the north western state of Kano and Kaduna, particular, as the protesters were said to be waving Russian Flags ostensibly to draw the attention of Vladimir Putin, the country’s President to support the Nigerian protests.
The CDS, who may not have found it funny had described the action of the protesters as ‘’totally unacceptable’. He was said to have sounded it loud and clear that the military, which already has the backing of the President will not ‘’accept any individual flying any foreign flag in Nigeria, a sovereign country, insisting that ‘’it is a treasonable felony offence’’.
The Army chief had said that the security agencies are not relenting in fishing out the criminals as they are following up with those who are sponsoring the hoodlums distributing the Russian Flags. He noted that the military have identified those areas in the northern part of the country where the Russian and other Foreign Flags were used during the protests to take serious action against that to avoid a repeat in future. Already, he had said that those flying the Russian Flags and other Foreign Flags, across the country have’’ crossed the red line’’.
On the issue of regime change, Gen. Mustapha, who had said that Nigeria is a’’ sovereign and a democratic nation’’ averred that the country’s security agencies will defend the country’s democracy’’ to ensure that it continues to strive’’.
He may have gladdened the heart of the former Lagos state governor when he assured that ‘’the military will not accept anyone pushing or taking any action, seemingly or whatever reason to want to push for any change in government’’. Democracy is what we stand and for democracy is what we will continue to defend it’’, he had said.
The General was said to have told those that cares to listen, that ‘’the President was clear on his instructions to the military ‘’not to accept anyone that wants to disrupt the peace and tranquility of Nigeria’’. ‘’The security agencies are working together with synergy to ensure that there’s still peace and tranquility in Nigeria’’, he maintained.
The Leadership of Afenifere , the Yoruba socio- political Organisation, who are unsympathetic to the Nigerian President over the ongoing protests in the country had said that he is the architect of it for saying categorically that ‘’petrol subsidy is dead and that people can protest a much as they can’’. The Pan-Yoruba socio – political Group noted that ‘’it is regrettable that the former Lagos state governor has continued to implement economic polies that are anti-people.
Garus Gololo, a Chieftain of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, would want the Nigerian President who had said that he is not answerable to any cabal or moneybag , had told the Clerics and traditional rulers at a meeting recently that he had used his personal fortune to bankroll his 2023, electioneering Campaigns to win the Presidential Seat ‘’to address Nigeria’s economic situation’’
The Nigeria President may have read the handwriting on the wall that there is trouble ahead as he had moved to address the food security challenge. This is evident going by the statement credited to Adeniyi, the Customs Comptroller General. The Customs helmsman had said that with ‘’the suspension of collection of duties and taxes on imported food items and Pharmaceutical products shipped into the country through the nation’s seaports and land border Areas , it will reduce the prices of food items and the Pharmaceutical products .
Given that a significant amount of food consumed in Nigeria is import, the Customs boss had said that the prices of the food items and drugs may not drop immediately because ‘’importation takes time’’. The Customs helmsman is optimistic that once the imported food items and Pharmaceutical products shipped into the country arrives and the service started implementation of the particular, Fiscal policy measure as enunciated by the government for the 150 days period, it will force down the prices of consumables like parboiled rice, bread, which are baked with wheat and maize as it would be available in the markets at affordable prices.
While the Nigerian government is making moves to force down the prices of food items and PHrmarceutical products, in the markets, Adamu Garba, another Chieftain of the ruling APC, who is worried over the protests would want Nigerians to understand that Tinubu, was not the one that actually removed the subsidy on petrol, let alone that of Kerosene or Automotive Gas Oil, popular, diesel and Jet fuel but the Buhari’s Administration, describing it as a landmine and Tinubu fell for it.
The APC, Chief, had said that the same camp that was used to oust former President Goodluck Jonathan from office , using Sowere and his Sahara Reporters online Medium, as a frontier are the same people that have activated the anti-Tinubu sentiment in the north, where the protests appears to have become very violent as the protesters have resorted to waving Russian Flags and other foreign Flags.
Adamu had said on his X handle that ‘’no one will have the capacity to distribute Russian Flags all over the north other than persons who already have an established political structure’’.
Sowere may have alluded to this when he levelled allegations against Abdullahi Ganduje, a former governor of Kano state and now Chairman of the ruling APC, of being behind ‘’the infiltration of the peaceful protests in the north western state of Kano with hired thugs to cause mayhem in his home state’’. Tanko Yakassai, a political ally of the former Kano state governor, had said that it was done ‘’to get the Federal Government attention’’. But Senator Shehu Sani had said that the violence that had trailed the nationwide protests in north was an attempt ‘’to overthrow the government’’.
The Kaduna state born politician may have shocked Nigerians when he alleged that some days into the protest, money, and some foreign Flags were shared among the Youths in the country’s northern region. He was said to have further disclosed that a day before the protest, precisely on Wednesday, July31,2024, money and Russian Flags were also shared , showing that the whole intent of the protest is not simply about the policies and programmes of the government but ‘’to create an atmosphere where there would be an overthrow of the government’’. Senator Sani may have hit the nail on the head hen when he said that ‘’someone is writing a script for anarchy, lawlessness and disorder’’.
The protesters in Kaduna and Kano, may have sent a message to the Nigerian President and his security chiefs that they are ready to confront the security operatives on the said Monday , that they had met at the Villa, as the protesters’ rank, many believe had been infiltrated by external elements from outside the two states. The external elements may have helped the Kaduna protesters to overrun a Police Armoured Personnel Carrier, APC, carrying live ammunition during the End Bad Governance against Hunger and Hardship protests at the Tudun Wada area of the Kaduna south Local Government Area of the north western state.
Mansur Hassan, a Superintendent of Police and spokesperson of the Kaduna state police Command, had said that contrary to a video clip that had been circulated in the social media, ‘’the protesters never hijacked the Armoured vehicle from the Force operatives during the demonstrations.
The video clip in question had depicted a situation where the driver of the APC, who was confronted by a large crowd of protesters and in the face of the escalating tension, was aid to have taken a commendable decision to allow them stay on the bonnet of the vehicle to play around ‘’to avoid the use of live ammunition loaded in the APC, by the protesters who are out to kill’’ if allowed to jump into the moving APC.
Given an insider information, the police spokesperson had aid that ‘’’the driver had employed a tactical maneuver to safely escape the scene’’ , ensuring the safety of both the protesters and officers involved.
He was said to have made it clear to those that cares to listen that at no point was the police, APC, hijacked by the protesters, noting that the vehicle and its personnel was under the control of the Command throughout the protests.
Egbetokun, the police boss who was accosted by Journalist at the Villa , after the security meeting with the President , had corroborated what the Kaduna state police Command Authorities had said that ‘’no APC , was hijacked by the protesters in Kaduna state.
The IGP, had said that there was no basis to talk about its APC, being hijacked, noting that the APC, in question was deployed to the Government House in Kaduna. The Police helmsman disclosed that the protesters went to the gate and as the driver was driving out, climbed the bonnet of the APC. He disclosed that what the driver did was to make a U-turn back to the front of the Kaduna state Government House gate , insisting that ‘’it wasn’t a case of hijacking’’.
The Kaduna protesters were said to have invaded a branch of a new generation bank at the Tudun Wada Area of Kaaduna, vandalized the bank building, carted away valuables and also destroyed several vehicles within the bank premises
The Kaduna Police Command spokesperson was said to have also disclosed that a security patrol vehicle belonging to the Kaduna Vigilance Service in the Rigassa area of the Kaduna metropolis was set ablaze by the hoodlums. They were said to have to have also razed the Kaduna state Traffic Law Enforcement Agency in Zaria, a major town in the state. He noted that there could not have been much destruction in Kaduna, because anti-riot and Counter-terrorism personnel were on top of the situation, but could not use live ammunition to quell the protests, in the state despite the provocation.
In a related development, Olusegun Obasano, a former Nigerian President had said that the Nigerian Youths appears to have been pushed to the wall which may have informed why they took to the streets ‘’caused by rising unemployment no skill and no empowerment ’’, warning that the country might be sitting on a keg of gunpowder’’.
The elder statesman was said to have urged President Tinubu’s government to create more opportunities for the Youths who are restive to be gainfully employed’’.
Appealing to the Nigerian President to do the right thing before it is too late, he noted that past Administrations had made mistake, by putting all the country’s eggs in one basket by ‘’relying only on oil’’ as a maor source of foreign exchange earning. The former Nigerian President was said to have made Tinubu to understand that the country still have an important commodity,’’ gas, but flaring it’’.
