- As Emotions Run High, Criminality Sets In
BY AWELE OGBOGU
Four days into the nationwide hunger protest scheduled to culminate on August 10, it does not require a forensic investigation to tell that it was far from being a peaceful protest as promised by the ‘organizers’, but turned into a riot on the opening day, with its accompaniments, such as looting, arson, vandalism and other forms of criminality, thus justifying fears entertained by government that the protests, rather than doing any good, could compound the nation’s socio-economic challenges.
In Asaba, Delta State capital and indeed, in most parts of the state, the fact that the protest was largely uneventful on the first day was seen as the reason people confidently came out to resume their normal lives, which has been the case till now. But banks, as it has become customary at any hint of protest, shut their doors to customers in Asaba.
A source told The Pointer that “he assumed that the protest would be peaceful because the organizers are known, while they had put out their demands, so apparently wanted to use the protest to drive home those demands. It turned out to be an imprudent assumption because the protesters, from the first day were a rudderless ship, as no one seemed to be in charge after calling out the citizens to protest.”
Thus, anger and rage were the order of the day in most states, making it a failed opportunity to engage with institutions of state on the protesters’ well-publicized demands. Protesters blocked public thoroughfares, dared the cops and refused to stay within the confines of designated areas, some of which were ordered by the court. On the contrary, they undertook street processions, thus allowing hoodlums to cash in on the situation. Although business persons in Asaba, Delta State capital were crawling back to their business premises on Friday, banks in Asaba were firmly shut.
There was partial compliance in Delta South Senatorial District as people went about their normal businesses without confrontation by protesters. With the exception of Warri, Effurun and environs, where there was no iota of protest, but same could not be said of Ughelli, Sapele and Abraka where pockets of protests erupted at about 1pm on Thursday with bonfires on major roads. In Warri, residents shunned the much anticipated protest and went about their legitimate businesses. Shops were open for businesses, private and commercial vehicles were also on the roads while people moved freely from one place to the other. Heavily armed security agents were stationed at the popular Effurun roundabout slated as a venue for protest so as to forestall possible breakdown of law and order. Security operatives were also stationed at Enerhen junction, Airport junction, Jakpa junction, PTI Junction, DSC Roundabout and the Estate Roundabout and others.
Warri Area Commander of the Nigeria Police, Graham Imade, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), told Journalists at the Effurun Roundabout, that his personnel were deployed to ensure a peaceful protest and to boost the confidence of the people.
In a chat with The Pointer, a member of one of the labour unions who preferred anonymity said “although we are not part of the protest, we enjoin the federal government to quickly make the four refineries functional and address the loss of value of the naira”, while noting that “on the heels of the nationwide hunger protest on August 1, the price of petrol rose to between N850 and N1, 000, thus further infuriating the protesters. Two of the nation’s busiest seaports, the Apapa and Tin-Can ports, were open but clearing agents stayed away for fear of being accosted by protesters.
Speaking behind a protective barrier, a trader at Konwea Plaza, Asaba said “it would be risky to take delivery of goods and be on the road at a time the protesters are on the loose with criminal elements among them. “Although there is heavy presence of the police and soldiers, hoodlums can take advantage of the protest at any point in time and unleash mayhem,” he said. He said many people are still understudying the situation before they could return to their normal lives. A source informed that although the Asaba airport remained open despite the protest, there were fewer number of flights, especially on the first few days of the protest. He said the development was due to the tension generated by the protest, such that people were apprehensive to travel by air although it was less likely to encounter protesters.
But as if yielding to regional scripts, the exercise was largely peaceful in the Southern part of Nigeria, where the Niger Delta had earlier elected to opt out of the protest for reasons that its interests were not clearly factored into reckoning. However, while the situation in northern Nigeria had forced the governments of Kano, Borno and Yobe States to declare curfew as part of measures to contain the monstrous situation the protests had brought. President Bola Tinubu, in another breath, met with the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, for what was considered a situation report on Abuja and environs.
Interestingly, for Lagos, the commercial nerve centre of the country, the last minute effort by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to cage the protesters is believed to have contributed in saving the state from disaster, even though some protesters flouted court orders and held rallies at undesignated places. This was as the Leadership of the organised Civil Society under the umbrella of United Action Front of Civil Society (UAFCS), rising from a major assessment meeting in its Situation Room, said it was compelled to make a review of the protests, saying it believes the protest have so far achieved 50 per cent of its goal, and therefore, called on government to invite them for a dialogue. In a statement by Olawale Okunniyi, Head, Coordinating Secretariat of United Action Front of Civil Society, the CSOs said the review was due to a plea by the lead solicitor of the initiators of the Nationwide Citizens’ Protests, Mr. Ebun Adegboruwa SAN, who said they can do so since it had already achieved its essential purposes even before its commencement. “Our profound X-ray of the nationwide protests vis-a-vis the strong appeal by the lawyer of the organisers and the emergency responses of government to the protests at our situation room essentially agrees with the submission of Mr. Ebun Adegboruwa SAN.
“That with the sharp responses to the nationwide citizens’ protests by various levels of government nationwide coupled with the numerous promises and panicky steps taken by government at all levels as well as government frantic appeals to citizens for time and restraint, the protest in our sincere view has already achieved fifty percent of its purpose.
“The concern of most leaders of the organised Civil Society is the long-standing history of government treachery and unreliability as touching its promises to citizens and peoples of Nigeria.
“This trust deficit between government and citizens in Nigeria is self-inflicted by government officials notorious for abandoning and ditching promises and commitments made to the people without scruples or batting an eyelid.
“This is why the organisers of this protest would like to stay out on the streets of Nigeria until government yields to their demands and starts implementing them.
“Therefore, in the light of this grave concern about the reputation of government that we call on the federal government and governments at all other levels of Nigeria that if they are indeed serious and sincere about their various promises and pleas towards averting the Citizens’ Action, to immediately identify, invite and engage leaders and organisers of the nationwide mass protests to negotiate citizens demands and the implementation of agreements reached during the negotiations so as to enable protesters reduce the days of the nationwide protests as requested by Mr. Ebun Adegboruwa SAN.”
While the NGOs were still in their Situation Room, the protests took a dangerous turn around the country. In the FCT, one of the protesters was gunned down by security agents in Kubwa, a satellite town in Abuja. Alsom soldiers shot one protester in Nyanyan. Abuja was in turmoil after a large number of protesters marching against economic hardship, clashed with security agencies and shut down the major highways in the nation’s capital. Soldiers had to intervene by unblocking the Kaduna-Abuja road after protesters blocked the road at Gwagwalada and obstructed the flow of traffic to the southern and northern parts of the country. Bonfire was set up at several intersections of the road at Ado, New Nyanyan, One Man Village, Mararaba and Karu Bridge, impeding the free flow of traffic and leaving many commuters stranded. Scores of travellers spent several hours before getting to their destinations.
FCT Minister, Nyesome Wike despite repeatedly boasting they would be no protests in Abuja, urged those protesting to embrace dialogue, saying the government is ready to listen and also “walk them through some governance issues that they might not have been privy to. He made the appeal while presenting staff of office to the four newly appointed graded FCT chiefs of Karu, Kwali, Pai and Yaba. The minister urged the protesters to resist those who wanted to destroy the nation, warning that the destruction of the FCT would have dire consequences on the entire country. In his usual manner of courting controversy, Wike accused an unnamed serving Senator of being a collaborator in the protest. He said the senator invited some security agencies to lead some of them to go and provide food for the protesters. Wike said the action of the minister amounted to “sponsorship”, adding at the appropriate time security agencies will invite the senator to explain her role in the protest.“Now we also have intelligence that a senator had to invite some security agencies to lead some of them to go and provide food for the protesters. That is sponsorship. A senator providing food for protesters. “At the appropriate time security agencies will invite the senator and find out how you will be sponsoring this kind of thing against the government of the day,” Wike said.
Yet, the Police in Abuja fired several tear gas to prevent the protesters from gaining entry into the Eagles Square. The protesters in their numbers had shunned an order by the Federal Capital Territory, which restricted them to the MKO Stadium in the city. Justice Sylvanus Orji gave the order on Wednesday while delivering a ruling in an ex-parte application brought before him by Wike. But contrary to reports, the FCT Police Command, said it was not the police division that was burnt, but the police container compartment at Nyanya checkpoint. A statement by the Command’s Spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, explained that the attempt to vandalise the Tipper Garage Police post by four suspects, Mathias Jude 29 ‘m’ of Nyanya Area D, Mohammad Ahmed 23, Abba Jibril 18 and Mohammad Haruna 18, was also foiled and the identified suspects arrested.
Commissioner of Police in FCT, Benneth Igweh, while acknowledging the right of residents to protest, frowned at destruction of public or police infrastructure. Yet, it took the intervention by the patrol team of the Nigerian military, contingent of Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), in collaboration with local vigilante group to dispel unruly hoodlums, who hijacked the protest in Mararaba, a border town, close to the federal capital territory.
The Lagos end of the protest was seen to be largely peaceful. Besides, many residents stayed indoors, while business premises were under lock and key. Markets in Ketu, Ojota, Mile 12, Maryland, Iyana Ipaja, Agege, Ogba, and Ikeja were closed. Protesters were sighted on the streets. The protest, led by about a thousand youths under the Ikeja flyover bridge, featured chants and solidarity songs criticising the country’s economic hardships. Curiously, a pro-government demonstration was also held in Alausa, Ikeja. At the Road adjoining the State Secretariat and House of Assembly, protesters converged in large numbers. But they only prayed for the good of the nation. Unfortunately, attempts to leverage the Lekki tollgate sentiments failed as there was a low turnout at the venue. The Lekki Toll Gate was instead dominated by a significant deployment of police and military forces. Armoured vehicles and barricades were strategically positioned, creating an atmosphere of heightened vigilance. In all, the leadership of Sanwo-Olu has been commended for the peace witnessed in the state after he came out to address the residents the night before and sought to justify reasons against the protest.
Kano was ravaged by looters and hoodlums, leaving many malls, shops and government buildings looted and burnt, a few hours after the commencement of the hunger protest in the state. Most of the hoodlums involved were young urchins brandishing local weapons attacking shops, malls stores, government buildings, and setting bonfires on the roads.
The widespread looting soon escalated with some of the looters attacking a house and stores adjacent the Government House, where they carted away foodstuffs and properties worth billions of Naira. Some of the hoodlums launched attacks on the Kano printing press, and office of the Digital Industrial Park of National Communications Commission (NCC), located at the Audu Bako Secretariat. Places like Baraka store along Lodge road, Rufaida, Yogurt in Kabuga, Haramain in Sokoto road, some shops and stores along Zaria and zoo roads were among the places looted.
Most of the thieves were seen carrying bags of rice, spaghetti, bags of flour, office furniture, air conditioners, cooking oil, refrigerators, computers, metal sign boards, doors and windows. A bus belonging to the Channels television carrying some journalists was attacked by the hoodlums along Sokoto road in the metropolis. The attackers used clubs, machetes and smashed the windows of the bus, while some of the occupants were showered with the sprinkles of the glasses. It was against this development that the Kano State Government imposed a 24-hour curfew in response to the breakdown of law and order in the state. Governor Abba Yusuf, who announced the curfew, said it was with immediate effect. He regretted how the peaceful demonstration was hijacked by thugs and hoodlums, who embarked on looting of business premises, government properties and maiming innocent citizens. He said, such miscreants have become persistent in wanton destruction of private and public properties aided by enemies of the state, who have been reported to the security agencies a few days back. At the same time, Yusuf received written grievances from the leaders of the protesters at Government House. He expressed his appreciation for how they conducted themselves.
Yusuf assured the protest leaders that he would promptly lead a powerful delegation from the state to present their grievances to President Tinubu.. Meanwhile, the Kano State Police Command, has apprehended some criminals, who exploited the protests as a cover for their malicious activities. Just like Kano, the Borno State Government on Thursday also announced an immediate 24-hour curfew across the state in response to the tragic detonation of an improvised explosive device in Kawori market, Konduga area of Borno State on Thursday, killing 16 people.
The explosion suspected to have been carried out by a Boko Haram suicide bomber resulted in the death of 16 individuals and critical injuries. Police PPRO, ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso, disclosed this in a press release titled: ‘Imposition of Curfew’. The statement noted that the bomb explosion prompted Governor Babagana Zulum to consult security officials before implementing the measure, saying it is aimed at restoring law and order and ensuring public safety.
Uneasy calm pervaded many streets in Makurdi, Benue State and other parts of the state on the first day of protests. Major roads were deserted but motorists were seen moving round. At the federal and state secretariats, civil servants were seen going about their normal duties. At Benue Links, Duku, New Nyanya, Pleasure Travels and Yaman parks, it was business as usual as passengers were boarding vehicles to various destinations in the North and Southern parts of the country
The Apex pan-Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Thursday, took an inventory, further affirming its support for the President Bola Tinubu administration. It also expressed its ‘profound gratitude’ to the Igbo both at home and in the Diaspora, for the “unwavering commitment to the decision to boycott the nationwide protests.” In a statement by its Secretary-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, Ohanaeze said, “We, the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, wish to express our profound gratitude to all Igbos at home and in the diaspora for their unwavering commitment to the decision to boycott the nationwide protests. “The South-east region has shown remarkable unity and resilience in standing against external pressures and manipulations aimed at using the Igbo as sacrificial lambs for selfish political agenda.”
In Enugu State, residents did not take part in the protest. But markets and streets within the Enugu Metropolis were not as busy as they used to be, as many stayed indoors for fear that the protest, if it held, might turn violent. Shops were locked even as there was limited vehicular movement. There were no gatherings suggestive of a protest on Thursday. In Imo State, Owerri and suburbs were completely deserted without any forms of movement as it appeared that people refused to step outdoors
But heavy security presence was observed in and around the state capital. All business premises including markets, commercial banks, filling stations, motor parks, hotels, and shops in Owerri were closed. There was no vehicular movement either of private or commercial types. Ebonyi State residents also boycotted the protest in all parts of the state. It was noted that although some shops were shut, there was no incident of protest in the state.
Businesses in parts of Anambra State were closed as a result of fear of violence arising from the protest. Though there was no gathering of people for a physical protest, shops, markets, banks, schools and other public institutions were all closed. The streets of Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi were also deserted, just as the roads were devoid of vehicular movements. Dr. Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka which had served as a rallying point for protesters was deserted, too. Similarly, in Abia, the protest did not hold as no group took to the streets as directed by the organisers. Instead, residents of the state opted to stay at home and observed the unfolding events in other parts of the country. The streets were empty and most shops at the city centre were closed for fear of the unknown. But in the inner parts of the city, shop owners went about their normal lives. In fact, day one of the hunger strike was observed like the Monday sit-at-home and not as the advertised Day of rage. Banks, as it has become customary at any hint of protest, shut their doors to customers. The situation was the same in Aba, the commercial hub of the state, which is also the hotbed of the state in protests. However, after the initial wait-and-see attitude in the morning hours, the streets of Umuahia and Aba came alive later in the afternoon.
With days to August 10, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, said hoodlums have been let loose on innocent Nigerians and their hard earned businesses and property looted and destroyed. He also said the Nigeria Police Force has placed all units on red alert, adding that its officers were fully mobilised and prepared to respond swiftly and decisively to any further threats to public safety and order.
Noting that police stations have been destroyed, IGP Egbetokun said there were attempts to take over government houses, adding that looting of government infrastructure, several warehouses and shops also occurred in several northern states.
The IGP further noted that the police is equipped to respond appropriately to the unfolding situation and would get assistance from other security agencies, including the military, if the need arises. But again, those who advised against the protest have continued to call for caution on both sides.
