Atleast 24 people including the woman, Aisha Jibrin, who led Monday’s protest to lament hunger, hardship in Minna, Niger State, have been arrested by the Nigerian police.
Recall that a group of women had blocked the Minna-Bida Road at the popular Kpakungu roundabout to express their grievances over the rising cost of food items.
The women were later joined by men and youths who accuse governments of turning deaf ears to their plights.
The protesters called on the President Bola Tinubu to end the hardship because they were suffering.
They wielded placards with inscriptions such as “Tinubu, Do Something Now!”; “Leadership Is All About Improving Lives”; “Nigerians Are Suffering”; “Stop The Hardship Now”, among others.
They had also lamented the hikes in the prices of gas and fuel in the country.
But the Niger State Command Public Relations Officer, DSP W. A. Abiodun in a statement issued on Wednesday said the protesters had been arrested for deliberately refusing to clear the road for public use.
He stated that after much persuasion by the police and that even though the Deputy Governor of Niger State, Yakubu Garba, availed himself at the scene and addressed the group, the women chose to be violent.
The police spokesperson claimed that the protesters attacked the police with dangerous weapons such as stones, bottles, sticks, and cutlasses.
According to him, they damaged police patrol vehicles and parts of the Kpakungu Division roof.
The statement reads in part, “It could be recalled that on 5/2/2024 at about 0700hrs, a large number of women and miscreants mobilized themselves and blocked Minna-Bida road and Kpakungu Roundabout claiming to be protesting against increase in foodstuff prices, causing major obstruction on the highway and deprived motorists, travellers and other road users from gaining access to attend to their lawful businesses.
“The Command immediately drafted Police patrol teams led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations DCP Shehu Umar Didango to the scene, and after much persuasion by the Police, the protesters deliberately refused to clear the road for public use, while His Excellency, the Deputy Governor of Niger State Com. Yakubu Garba equally availed himself at the scene and addressed the group, yet they turned deaf ears and chose to be violent.
“However, the Police adopted minimum force to disperse the protesters who turned violent by attacking the Police with dangerous weapons such as stones, bottles, sticks, cutlasses and damaged Police patrol vehicles and parts of the Kpakungu Division roof.
“In the course of this, the Police arrested the initiator of the protest one Aisha Jibrin 30yrs, Fatima Aliyu 57yrs, Fatima Isyaku 43yrs all of Soje ‘A’ of Kpakungu area of Minna and twenty-two other miscreants with the following dangerous weapons; -A bench and a stick used as barricade, Three knives, One scissors, One cutlass, One saw blade, One iron pipe, Four other sticks, Two wraps of Indian hemp, Charms, etc.
“During interrogation, the said Aisha claimed that she was not aware that her action was illegal by mobilizing over one hundred women and miscreants to block the highway for a violent protest. She claimed further that she informed one youth leader Hassan in the area, who promised to inform the Police of their plan to protest, but did not do so.
“Meanwhile, all suspects were taken to SCID Minna for investigation and they will be charged to court for prosecution, as effort is ongoing to arrest other identified members of the violent protest.
“The Commissioner of Police, Niger State Command CP Shawulu Ebenezer Danmamman, fsi urges Nigerlites, members of the public to be law-abiding and should not resort to self-help, but rather approach appropriate authority to address issues whenever the need arises.”
