Protests continue nationwide •Rallies in Ibadan, Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Kogi•Protesters go wild in Minna, kill cop, burn buildings, cars

Posted by admin Abuja (FCT), Headlines, Kogi, Lagos, Niger, Oyo, State News Thursday, January 12th, 2012

AS the nationwide strike against the fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government entered the third day on Wednesday, the protest took a dangerous dimension in Minna, the Niger State capital, as an Inspector of Police attached to the state office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on David Mark road, within the metropolis, was killed by unidentified hoodlums.

The mob, which attacked the INEC office, destroyed 10 assorted cars, while the windscreens of about 15 Toyota Hilux vans were smashed, just as the building itself went up in flames, while no fewer than eight cars were also burnt at the state’s branch of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, on old Airport Road, Minna, as its next door neighbour, the Niger State Development Company, was also not spared.

Among other buildings torched by the rampaging youth were four other private buildings said to belong to members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, including the former campaign office of the incumbent Governor Mu’azu Aliyu Babangida and the law chambers of his former campaign director, Mr Tanko Beji, on Bosso Road, Minna.

The governor’s former campaign office, situated near the popular Mobil Roundabout, Bosso Road, Minna, was set on fire at about 10.00 a.m., on Wednesday, but the fire was put out 15 minutes later by the police, Red Cross Society of Nigeria, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and some sympathetic members of the public.

Beji’s one-storey law chambers (known as Glass House) is about a kilometre away from Aliyu’s campaign office and the building is situated near the Murtala Muhammed Park, on Bosso Road. The beautification project of the state government at Onigbinde Roundabout on the same road was also destroyed.

Also not spared was the former campaign office of Honourable Jumai Jafar, a PDP House of Assembly member in the state, as well as a house allegedly belonging to Senator Dahiru Awaisu Kuta, also representing Niger East senatorial district on the ticket of the PDP at the National Assembly, Abuja, as well as the Democracy Garden, where recreational facilities, beverages, among other things, were destroyed in the ensuing mayhem which broke out as early as 7.00 a.m. at different locations in the state capital.

The Niger State government has, however, condemned the destruction of public structures, waste bins and beautification trees by miscreants, who exploited the ongoing fuel subsidy protests called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), describing the action as irresponsible.

However, the state chairman of the NLC, Comrade Yahaya Ndako, has debunked the allegation of the state government against his organisation, just as he washed his hands of the crisis. He stated this in a telephone interview with the Nigerian Tribune on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the state government has imposed a 24-hour curfew, which took immediate effect in the headquarters of the 25 local government areas of the state.

A press statement signed by the Secretary to the Niger State Government, Mr Daniel Shashere, a copy of which was made available to the Nigerian Tribune, stated that only persons on essential services and who should carry proper identification cards were to be exempted from the order.

“Other citizens are warned to stay indoors until further notice. Nigerlites should regard this as a critical measure necessary to curtail further wanton destruction and lawlessness by unscrupulous elements. All Nigerlites are assured of their safety and should not panic as government is already on top of the situation,” Shashere concluded.
Meanwhile, protesters in Lokoja, on Wednesday, clashed with armed mobile policemen who allegedly crushed a protester, with an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), just as a police inspector was also injured.

The protesters, who stormed the Freedom Square, formerly Obasanjo Square, as early as 6.00 a.m. blocked all roads leading to the state capital, as they sang solidarity songs.

A convoy of Peace Mass Transit vehicles coming from the East and heading to the North was stopped as the protesters tried to burn down the vehicles.

The armed policemen, in an attempt to save the passengers of the vehicles with one of their APCs allegedly crushed the leg of a protester which led to the fracas.

A police Hilux van was attacked by the protesters while the police fired tear gas to disperse the angry crowd.

An inspector of police suffered injuries to his hand.

Those who opened their shops quickly closed them while some okada operators abandoned their motorcycles when the situation got out of hand.

It took the police hours to calm the situation as the state Police Commissioner, Mr Marvel Akpoyibo had to intervene to placate the protesters.

Some of the protesters, who spoke to newsmen, said they were aware of the alleged plan by the state government to bring some miscreants into Lokoja in support of the removal of the oil subsidy.

According to them, they are fully ready for the protest as they called on the people of the state to rise up and fight for the sake of the ordinary people of the nation.

They alleged that millions of naira was given by the state governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris to organise a pro-oil subsidy rally in Lokoja.

They said they would continue to occupy the Freedom Square until the Federal Government reverted to N65.

In another development, disturbed by the security implications of the ongoing mass protest over the removal of fuel subsidy, the National Security Adviser (NSA), General Owoye Azazi, on Wednesday invited the president of the NLC, Comrade Abduwaheed Omar, and the President General of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Peter Esele, to an urgent meeting.

The NSA extended the urgent invitation to the labour leadership, as the NLC and TUC headquarters directed the chairmen of their state chapters, where the mass protests were becoming more violent to terminate the protests but stay at home to comply with the strike.

The letter, which was written on Wednesday, scheduled the meeting for 13.00 hrs, but the labour leaders could not even get the letter till 15.00hrs, when they were still leading the mass protests which have been very peaceful for the third consecutive day in Abuja.

But the Nigerian Tribune gathered at press time that the labour leaders could not attend the meeting because it was not clear if they received the letter.

The letter read: “You are invited for an urgent meeting today, to take place by 13 hr.”

The letter was signed by one Brigadier General, L.W Mawa, for the National Security Adviser.

Meanwhile, the NLC and TUC have directed their affiliates and chairmen in some states where the mass protests have been hijacked by hoodlums to terminate mass protests and sit at home to observe the general strike.

The NLC president said instructions had been given to those states, such as Niger State, to terminate the mass rally, until the situation become better.

Omar told the Nigerian Tribune: “Right now, we have just given instructions to our officers in Niger because it is like it was getting out of hand. We said they should terminate it and sit at home, until the situation comes back to normal.”

The NLC also told the crowd who came out in their thousands Wednesday to be part of the procession not to be violent, adding that they should not give the security men who were looking for the slightest opportunity to turn the peaceful rally into violent situation to do so.

Also, Comrade Esele, the TUC President General, told the Nigerian Tribune that instructions had been given to the state chapters in those volatile states to suspend the mass protests.

Comrade Esele said: “We gave them the instructions to suspend the mass protests. They called, because in a state like Edo, the thing is becoming sectarian. Some hoodlums wanted to take the advantage to go and burn the Benin Central Mosque. So, when we got the report, we said okay, no more protests, sit at home.”

But to the Acting General Secretary of the NLC, Comrade Owei Lakemfa, many of the hoodlums were armed policemen, adding that the people who were shot on Tuesday in Ibafo, Ogun State, were commuters who were travelling, while there was no demonstration.

-Tribunewp_posts