Ahead of the August 1 to 12 hunger protest by Nigerian youths under the hashtag #Endbadgovernment, some youths in Niger State have taken to the streets to protest the hardship Nigerians are currently facing.
This is coming barely one week after the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, announced that Niger State youths would not go out on the streets to protest, saying the youths of the state were peace-loving.
Reliable information reaching PUNCH disclosed that some youths of the State trooped to the streets of Niger State to protest the ongoing cost of living crisis in Nigeria.
The youths were seen along the Expressway on Tafa local government carrying placards which read ‘Enough is Enough’; ‘Stop Anti-Masses Policies’; ‘We Are Not Slaves In Our Country’; ‘Hardship Is Unbearable’, ‘Fuel Subsidy Must Be Back’, among others.
The protesting youths were said to have marched the streets of the Abuja-Kaduna expressway as they chanted anti-government songs.
An eyewitness, who gave his name as Sule Ndaji, told PUNCH that the protest actually took place, and it was the intervention of soldiers stationed on the highway that entreated the youths to sheath their swords until the date slated for the nationwide protest.
“I saw the protesters early this morning carrying placards and chanting protest songs. It was the soldiers on the Expressway that calmed the youths, telling them to wait until the date of the protest,” Ndaji said.
So many organisations and agencies in Niger State had given assurance that youths in the state would not be part of the hunger protest stressing that the organisers were faceless and hoodlums and other miscreants may hijack the protest.
The governor had also announced palliatives to Niger residents to ensure that the State did not involve in any protest.
“We have over 100,000 metric tonnes of food in our reserves, out of which we will be releasing 50,000 metric tonnes to be sold at 50% of its present price. Before the end of the year, we will slash food prices by 90%,” Bago had announced at a town hall meeting.
The Niger State Police Command spokesman Abiodun Wasiu who confirmed the protest, disclosed that some youths were seen on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway but were later dispersed by law enforcement agents.
“The issue is that some few boys were discovered around Kaduna road, and immediately, Area Commander Suleja moved to the scene with his men and the situation was brought under control. They were dispersed immediately.
“There was no blockade of the road along Abuja Kaduna road. We also heard rumours that there was an issue around Madalla, but as I’m speaking with you, there was no issue, there was no problem in Madalla.
“However, the Area Commander is on a show of force and monitoring the situation within Suleja and its environs. As I speak with you the area is calm, people should continue their lawful businesses,” Wasiu said.