Soldiers stop protesters from invading Niger market

Niger State protesters who attempted to invade the Suleja Modern Market over the alleged killing of six protesters on the first day of the protests were stopped by soldiers detailed to prevent violence and vandalisation.

The protesters, on Monday, attempted to invade the market and unleash terror on the marketers to avenge the killing of protesters but were resisted by soldiers.

The protesters came in their hundreds and gathered at the Suleja Junction, along the ever-busy Kaduna-Suleja-Abuja highway, with the determination to invade the biggest market in the state, when security agents, mainly soldiers, quickly mobilised to the area and dispersed them.

The planned nationwide protest in Niger State started in Suleja Local Government Area, and the town has remained the epicentre of the ongoing nationwide protest in the state.

On the first day of the protest, it turned bloody when six people were killed and several others injured.

The PUNCH learnt that the Monday protest was informed by the killing of the six protesters.

While the Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, said that no protester was killed during the August 1 protests, the protesters insisted that six people were killed while over 15 people were injured during an encounter with the police.

The police spokesman stated, “The Niger State Police Command wishes to respond to a report in some online media that six persons lost their lives during the violent protest in the Tafa/Suleja area of Niger State, which is untrue.

“The Command, therefore, re-emphasized as earlier stated that violent miscreants stormed the Tafa LGA Secretariat, looted, vandalized, and partly set the building ablaze. Vehicles were damaged and burnt while security agencies responded, made arrests, and dispersed the hoodlums.

“During this process, there was no loss of life, and there was no report of such as the violent protesters were dispersed with the use of minimum force. However, some miscreants were mildly injured during a stampede and most of them were taken to different medical facilities for treatment”.

In another development, a group of protesters attempted to block the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway in Sabon Wuse, the headquarters of Tafa Local Government Area of the state, but they were prevented by the military. They were quickly dispersed and went into hiding when they sighted the detachment of soldiers on patrol in the area.

A member representing the Tafa constituency in the Niger State House of Assembly, Mohammed Idris, expressed worries over the influx of miscreants into the town, warning that if the situation was not checked, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, would be affected by the activities of miscreants.

The lawmaker pointed out that in recent times, the activities of miscreants in the area have made life difficult for the residents, stressing that it was on record that the #EndBadGovernance protesters began in the area because of the activities of hoodlums.

“The situation is because the LGA shares a boundary with Kagarko in Kaduna State, where criminals move into the area to wreak havoc.

“There were several high profile kidnapping incidences in the area with millions of money paid as ransom by relations of the victims to secure their release, That is why we strongly appeal to the government to beam its searchlight on the area,” Sani said.