The Nigeria Police Kano Command has clarified that the 326 suspects were arrested in the acts of Thursday, #End Bad Government Protests, in and around the city and not 2011 suspects as is being speculated.
The command Police Public Relations Officer, CSP, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa made this known during a press briefing and parading of the suspects which includes old women, underage persons and others, on Friday, at the Police Headquarters, Kano.
Kiyawa noted that “the Command clarifies the recent deliberate false and mischievous news circulating on social media platforms concerning the photos of suspects and exhibits involved in the destruction and looting of public and private properties under the guise of the planned #End Bad Governance Nationwide Protest.”
He explained that, “against the misleading unverified social media reports that some of the images were posted sometime in 2011, and are been reposted now, are false and baseless”, insisting that, “these despicable acts are calculated attempts by enemies of peace to tarnished the reputable image of the Nigeria Police.”
He said, “These images showing suspects and exhibits are linked to the current incidents resulting from the ongoing August 2024 Nationwide Protest and have no relation with any incident in the year 2011.
“Interestingly, the same suspects in the alleged looting and vandalizing who were arrested and paraded by the Police Command on 01/08/2024 are here before the press today, 02/08/2024 for clarity
“On this note, the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Police Command, CP Salman Dogo Garba directed the Anti-Cyber Crime Unit of the Command to launch an investigation to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of this ungodly act capable of instigating the public against the Police.
EndBadGovernment Protests: 326 suspects arrested in Kano were not of 2011- Police clarify
EndBadGovernment Protests: 326 suspects arrested in Kano were not of 2011- Police clarify
Community decries land grabbing in Delta
Following the activities of land grabbers, the agrarian Ajaji-Illah community in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State has cried out over the non-availability of land for farming.
The community which is currently in the state High Court, Akwukwu-Igbo with Delta State Government and Northsworthy Limited over the alleged forcefully take over of land belonging to the community, accused the state government of allegedly leasing out 533.97 hectares of their farmland to a private firm few years ago leading to litigations.
The spokesman of the community, Mr Sunday Chukwurah, narrating their ordeal on Thursday in Asaba, the state capital, said that while they are still battling with the state government and Noteworthy Limited over illegal acquisition, some land grabbers are on the prowl to sell the remaining land left for the community.
Chukwurah said, “We the Ajaji-Illah community are crying out over the invasion of our community land by land grabbers. The community which is about 30 minutes drive away from the state capital, Asaba, is worried that despite the vast land already occupied by Federal and State agencies.
“Some individuals suspected to be government officials and politicians were out to take over what is left of our land. We the farmers are now finding it difficult to farm due to lack of land.
“Ajaji-Illah Community was a food basket of the state, in terms of yam, cassava, vegetables, and even rice farming, but now there is no land to farm which is also contributing to the shortage of food in the state.
“The people of Ajaji-Illah have identified persons in their midst, including an octogenarian, who failed in his bid to covet part of our land. About two weeks ago, this same land grabbers accompanied by some armed policemen were seen pegging a vast portion of our land area at the Ngegwu farm settlement,” he said.
According to him, the community youths raised alarms after spotting the land grabbers only for the land grabbers to write a petition to the police authority in Abuja to accuse prominent men of criminal activities.
“We have also erected bold signposts on both Illah-Asaba road up to the Ngegwu farm axis on the same matter,” he added.
The community called on the general public not to engage in any land sale transactions with anyone including her indigenes, decrying the lost of space for farming.
Police nab 320 over Kano protest chaos
The Police Command in Kano State has announced the detention of 320 suspects allegedly involved in vandalising public buildings during the nationwide protests in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Abdullahi Kiyawa, disclosed this during a parade of the suspects at the police headquarters on Friday.
Kiyawa stated that the suspects were apprehended at the premises of High Courts and other public buildings, with various items found in their possession.
He explained that the police, in collaboration with other security agencies, had established a comprehensive security network to ensure that the residents could go about their legitimate activities without any let or hindrance.
The police appealed to the residents to support their efforts by providing intelligence information that could aid in apprehending criminals in the state, thereby contributing to a safer and more secure environment.
The Commissioner of Police, Salma Dogo, has praised the state government’s decision to impose a 24-hour curfew in the state.
He also urged the parents to ensure that all the stolen properties from vandalised buildings were returned to the nearest police station.
Dogo warned that the police would not tolerate any acts of vandalism or disruptions to the peaceful atmosphere.
He emphasised that anyone found engaging in such criminal behaviour would face dire consequences, as the police remained committed to maintaining law and order in the state.
NAN.
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Edo CAN admits ownership of controversial looted Rice in Benin
After accusations and counter-accusations between the Edo State Government and the State leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, over the ownership of looted rice in a truck parked at Urora, a suburb of Benin City, the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has claimed ownership of the rice.
TVN reports that the looting of the rice which was contained in a viral video, pitched the state government and APC against each other as they both traded words over the ownership of the product.
Claiming ownership of the looted rice, the State chairman of CAN, Irekpono Omoike, said the vandalized residence where bags of rice were looted by hoodlums in Urora is owned by a vendor contracted by the association’s implementation committee for the Christian Feeding Programme.
“There is a very important issue to correct a wrong notion that is circulating that the rice being distributed by the State Government is rice supplied by the Federal Government and re-bagged. This is misinformation. It is a very wrong notion that needs to be corrected.
“Earlier this year, the Edo State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria had a meeting with Governor Godwin Obaseki where he shared his concern on how to reach out to vulnerable persons and the poor who are bearing the hardship of the economic downturn in the country.
“After the meeting, an implementation committee for the Christian Feeding Programme was set up where we designed a programme on how to reach out to the poor with food palliatives. The governor released the 1st batch of the funding for the programme, which is N1 billion naira to purchase rice to be distributed.
“This was done and in May 2024 we flagged off the distribution of the first phase at the Baptist Convention Ground in Benin City”, he said.
Omoike noted that the Christian Feeding Programme which is in its second phase of distributing relief materials to vulnerable Christian Groups was funded by the Edo State Government with 2 billion naira.
He said in the First Phase of the Programme 60,000 bags of 10kg rice were distributed.
He gave the breakdown of the senatorial distribution as 27,000 bags for Edo South to be distributed to the seven Local Government Areas through the churches, 18,000 bags for Edo Northande 15,000 bags for Edo Central.
The CAN gave the total bags of rice distributed in the first batch as 60,000 bags of 10kg rice.
He added that for the second phase, another batch of N1 billion was released by the state government to replicate the exercise.
According to him, we purchased another consignment and distributed it through the structure of CAN. This process has been ongoing since July. In the last few days, we have successfully distributed to all the churches that did not receive the 1st batch across the 18 LGAs.
“In this batch, we were able to reach 56,250. There’s another consignment in this last phase, just as we did in the 1st phase, meant for churches not under C, since this was really done in partnership with CAN”, he added.
Earlier, the State Secretary of the CAN Implementation Committee for the Christian Feeding Programme, Osagie Ehrunmwunse, added that the truck in the viral video where bags of rice were looted belonged to a logistic company distributing the rice.
“The truck supplying down from Ekpoma had a breakdown the previous night. The rice was meant for the Seventh Day Adventist, Latter Day Saints, vulnerable children, orphanages, and widows among others.
“In an attempt for us to take that rice for safekeeping, that was when the products were looted by hoodlums. So that was exactly what happened on Thursday morning.
“Where the incident happened was not exactly a government warehouse. It is the house belonging to one of the suppliers of the rice for distribution.
“We are happy that nobody died in the process, or got injured. But as Mr Chairman said, it’s disheartening to know that people have to twist the information by saying it’s federal government rice”, he added.
Edo CAN admits ownership of controversial looted Rice in Benin
Protest: Viral video doctored to blackmail me, Obi – Senator Kingibe
Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, FCT on the platform of the Labour Party, Ireti Kingibe has denied participation in the ongoing protest which started on Wednesday.
She expressed shock and dismay over what she said was a “misleading viral video”, which the purveyors doctored to portray her and the former presidential candidate, Peter Obi leading a protest on Wednesday.
In a statement that she issued and made available to journalists in Abuja, the female lawmaker described the “video as a malicious and deliberate effort to discredit her and Mr Obi.”
“I am shocked and outraged by the blatant lies and misinformation being spread by mischief-makers!
“The video being circulated is from over six weeks ago, during a Labour Party NWC meeting when the NLC was protesting outside the Labour Party office.
“As stakeholders, including Senators, House of Reps members, and Mr Peter Obi, we went out to engage with the protesters and address their concerns.”
According to her, deceitful individuals were bent on passing off the old footage as current, claiming that, “Mr.@PeterObi and I are leading protests in Abuja yesterday.”
“Let me set the record straight, Mr Peter Obi is not in Abuja, and I haven’t left my house since Wednesday due to illness, much less distributed food and water at the protest grounds, though that would be noble for whoever did.”
She condemned those behind the video, saying they were attempting to cause confusion and label her as a sponsor of protesters, adding that she would sit idly watching her hard-earned reputation being destroyed by hoodlums.
Protest: Viral video doctored to blackmail me, Obi – Senator Kingibe
Atiku praises #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protesters, urges Tinubu to listen to citizens
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has commended Nigerians who took to the streets to protest against bad governance.
Nigerians are experiencing economic difficulties, making it challenging for many to afford basic necessities.
In response, some youths began protests on Thursday in some parts of the country, calling for an end to hunger and poor governance in Nigeria.
The former Vice President on Friday praised Nigerians for their bravery in a post on his verified Facebook page, while denouncing the hoodlums who hijacked the protest in some states.
He wrote, “To the government, I admonish you to heed the voices of the people and come down from your high horses. It is time to demonstrate a sincere commitment to addressing the demands of the protesters. The nation cannot afford further days of unrest; let this be the moment where leadership listens and acts with integrity and urgency.
“The commencement of public protests across the country yesterday is noteworthy. These demonstrations have opened a vital channel for the public to express disapproval of government policies, furthering the essential conversation about good governance in our nation.
“For the most part, protesters have conducted themselves with admirable peace and must be commended for their restraint and dedication. However, in some isolated instances, there have been reports of violence, leading to regrettable clashes and brutalities by the police.
“I urge the protesters to maintain their peaceful stance and call on more Nigerians to show solidarity and support for the #EndBadGovernance peaceful protest. This is a pivotal moment for our collective voice to be heard, and it must be done with dignity and respect for the law.”
He also called on the police to engage more professionally in managing the protests, adding that killing of innocent citizens by security agencies is unacceptable.
“The police must refrain from the molestation of journalists who are merely reporting the protest. It is imperative that security agencies exercise restraint while enforcing law and order,” he added.
Atiku emphasised that it is time to show genuine commitment to addressing the protesters’ demands.
“Security agencies are encouraged to identify and isolate the minority elements who are resorting to violence and looting, ensuring that the actions of a few do not tarnish the majority of peaceful protesters,” he concluded.
EndBadGovernance: Rivers CP commends protesters for peaceful demonstration
Businesses are reopening in parts of Port Harcourt, the epicentre of the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest, a change from Thursday which was the first day of the protest.
Protests in the Rivers State capital are occurring in various locations.
While a demonstration is taking place at the Federal Secretariat in GRA PortHarcourt, another group is protesting at Mgbuoba NTA Road, PortHarcourt.
In the meantime, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, has commended the peaceful disposition of the protesters.
CP Disu, who addressed the protesters at the Federal Secretariat on Friday (day 2 of the protest), assured that the police have no intention of confronting the protesters and that their presence is solely for protection.
He, however, appealed to the protesters not to barricade the roads.
He said, “I want to thank you for the cooperation I got yesterday. I cannot thank you enough.
“Today as well, I’m here to meet with you, and to let you know that so far so good, I’m saying thank you.
“If you think we’re going to come here and have a confrontation with you, you have failed. If you think that is what is in your mind, it will not happen.
“But at the same time, I want us to know that we don’t want you to block the road. We will stay here with you. Our job is to protect lives and property.
“We’ll stay here with you, protect you anywhere you want to go, we’ll go with you.
“So far so good, I thank you so much. May almighty God continue to be our guide. You people have been so wonderful to us whether we like it or not.
“You people know you’re right and you stand by your right. You people have been assisting the police.
“I have worked almost everywhere in this country, but the level of cooperation I get from you, I have not gotten anywhere.
“So, I thank you so much for the cooperation and I look forward to more.” He added.
Nigerians across the country have taken to the streets due to severe hardships caused by President Bola Tinubu’s removal of the fuel subsidy, rising inflation, and the naira’s depreciation against the dollar.
EndBadGovernance: Rivers CP commends protesters for peaceful demonstration
Many feared injured as police disperse protesters in Abuja
Many #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protesters are feared injured after police dispersed them in Abuja on Friday.
The protesters had disregarded the warnings by policemen against holding a procession.\
The police laid ambush for the protesters immediately after the National Hospital area and dispersed them with teargas and live ammunition.
Speaking with journalists, five injured protesters criticised the police for their actions.
They claimed they had to jump into the bush when the police began firing live ammunition at them.
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EndBadGovernance Protests: Cargo clearance grounded at Lagos ports
Cargo clearance activities at Tincan Island and Apapa ports in Lagos were slowed down on Friday due to ongoing protests in the country.
A visit by a NAN correspondent to these ports observed a minimal presence of clearing agents, leading to reduced cargo clearance operations.
Mr Usman Abubakar, Public Relations Officer of Apapa Customs Command, confirmed the low turnout, attributing it to the protests.
He noted that while operations improved slightly compared to Thursday, when the protests started, they were still not back to normal.
Abubakar urged port users to expedite cargo clearance to create space for incoming vessels.
Mr Tony Ibe, a freight forwarder at Tincan Island port, explained that many agents stayed away on Thursday, fearing access restrictions due to the protests.
Mr Tochukwu Atuegwe of Praise God Clearing Agents confirmed a better turnout on Friday and urged agents to resume normal operations on Monday.
He noted that customs officers and terminal operators were available to clear cargo from the ports.
Mr Adepoju Gbojubade, another clearing agent at Apapa Port, said that there was swift cargo clearance due to the reduced number of agents.
He mentioned that the situation was gradually normalising as port authorities and stakeholders worked to restore full operations and address the backlog of cargoes.
EndBadGovernance Protests: Cargo clearance grounded at Lagos ports
Police show solidarity, share water with protesters in Lagos
A remarkable display of unity was captured in Ojota, Lagos, as police officers distributed bottled water to protesters, showcasing a rare moment of solidarity between law enforcement and demonstrators.
A video shared by The Cable Newspaper on Friday showed protesters eagerly receiving the water.
The nationwide protest, which began on August 1, 2024, has brought Nigerians together to express their frustration and discontent with the country’s economic hardship.
Nigerians began the #EndbadgovernanceinNigeria protest on August 1, 2024, to draw the attention of the government to the plight being faced by the masses.
Click the link below to watch the video:
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