Protest in Nigeria takes its first hit from the government

The governor of the State, Abba Yusuf, is the first in the country to act against the protest since it began on Thursday. According to a report by the Punch newspaper, the Kano governor has imposed a 24-hour curfew.

Sunusi Tofa, the governor’s spokesperson, delivered the statement on Thursday. He noted that the decision followed an Emergency State Security Council meeting, held in response to the escalating unrest in the city.

“The imposition of this curfew is a necessary measure to restore order and ensure the safety of our communities. It is paramount that we protect our citizens from further harm and preserve the sanctity of our state’s institutions and businesses,” he said.

Kano state is recognized as one of Nigeria’s economic centers, the most prevalent one in the country’s vast Northern region. It is also the most populated state in Nigeria according to a 2020 report by the National Bureau of Statistics.

Videos surfacing online show that the protest in Kano has become particularly unruly. Some suggest that the anarchy in Kano are being perpetuated by thugs, while others assume that they are angry protesters, regardless, the state government has called for all to be vigilant.

“Let us not allow the actions of a few selfish individuals to divide us. Together, we can navigate these challenges and fortify our resolve to build a stronger, more resilient Kano State,” the governor of the state stated.

Videos also reveal that the police are pushing back as the gatherings get more rowdy.

Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, expressed concern about the demolition of a technological hub in Kano only days before its scheduled inauguration.

“Sad to learn that our Digital Innovation Park in Kano slated for launch next week to support our technical talent accelerator (3MTT) has been set ablaze and looted by protesters,” Tijani stated in a post via X on Thursday.

In the case of Abuja, a large hoard has been spotted making its way to the urban region of the state. Abuja, is the capital city of Nigeria, and has had one the most push backs from the authorities even before the protests began.

The Minister of the region, Nyesom Wike had prior to the protests, stated that the government will not stand by while citizens wreak havoc.

“If the FCT is working, why are you telling the residents to come and protest? We quite appreciate the level of hunger but we have said it is better for us to sit down and talk about it than to give room for hooligans to perpetrate crimes against innocent Nigerians,” he said.

He had also insisted that some public venues in the State could not be used for protests unless the protesters paid. However, people have neglected the directive and are marching on as they see fit.

The security officials sent to Abuja have also been reported to throw teargas at the protesters, of which the protesters are refusing to back down.