- Military mulls intervening to prevent looting
- Mixed reactions trail calls to end protests as death toll rises
BY ORIAKU IJELE & ANDREW OROLUA
In spite of the curfew imposed in Kano and Jigawa states, protesters defied the order to continue in the ongoing ‘EndBadGovernance’ protests, as the protests entered Day 2.
The curfew imposed in the 2 states by the governors followed the violence and looting which happened on the first day of the demonstrations, resulting in looting of government facilities as well as private shops.
Saturday Times gathered that youths were spotted on some roads of the states mounting barricades and refusing to retreat in spite of the presence of police.
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In addition to that, youths also barricaded major roads in Jos, Plateau State capital, prompting several groups to urge President Tinubu to address the youths in order to douse the tension.
As the tension continues to escalate with death tolls and casualties rising, there are fresh appeals by well-meaning Nigerians for the protests to be suspended. But this stance has sharply divided two of the main supporters of the protests, Omoyele Sowore and Olu Onagoruwa, with Sowore insisting the protests should continue.
In a related development, The Network of Civil Society Organisations (NECSOB) in Borno, have expressed concern over killings and destruction of property recorded in the state as hoodlums hijacked the nationwide protest in Maiduguri.
Mr Bulama Abiso, the Executive Director, NECSOB, disclosed this in a statement in Maiduguri on Friday.
Abiso advocated for calm and called for investigation into the matter.
“The leadership of NECSOB is concerned about the unfolding situation surrounding the protests in the state.
“While acknowledging the right of citizens to peaceful protest, we also recognise that this right is not absolute, as it confers on every citizen the responsibility to respect the rights of others.
“Sadly, we have received information from across the state on the number of deaths since the commencement of this protest, they are alarming, unacceptable, and uncalled for,” he said.
While urging citizens to comply with the curfew imposed on the state to restore law and order, Abiso urged security personnel to operate with decorum and according to the dictates of the laws.
He urged the public to cooperate with the security agencies in fishing out the hoodlums who were out to take advantage of the protest and report them to the authorities.
“We are also calling on the authorities to investigate the destruction of property, rampant killings and shootings recorded within the span of few hours of the protest.
“NECSOB is calling on all stakeholders to embrace dialogue to amicably resolve the issues. We also call for calm to avert further loss of lives and property.
“The state is ours and it’s our responsibility to build and protect it from anything that will temper with its peace and development,” Abiso said.
Meanwhile the military has vowed never to stand aloof and watch situation deteriorate.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, has warmed that the military would step in to assist the police and other security agencies if the violent protests in some parts of the country go out of control.
Musa gave the warning while briefing newsmen on the activities of the protesters reporting to valence in some parts of the country on the day one of the protest.
He said that the military had been on standby providing support to the police and other security agencies since the beginning of the protest, adding that they would not stand by and watch things get out of hand.
The CDS said the military was determined to ensure total peace in all parts of the country with the support of all Nigerians, urging all to understand with the government.
He said that while the military recognised that there were challenges, it would not allow criminals or individuals that had hatred for the government to take advantage of the situation to destroy the country.
“Monies that are meant for development will have to be used to repair the destruction thing so that we can move forward.
“So instead of doing that, we should come together, make sure nothing is destroyed,” he said.
He said that the recent autonomy granted the local government to be able to get fundings directly from the federation account would ensure that people at the grassroots get the feel of the government.
The CDS urged Nigerians to look up to their local government and their state governments.
“I want to appeal once again for the support of all Nigerians, the federal government, the state government and local governments and let us avoid anything that will bring mayhem within our communities.
“We have seen the level of destruction that were carried just yesterday and you can imagine if this continues for so long.
“The armed forces and the entire security agencies will not stand by and see that to continue.
“We want to warn those that are in the house, those that don’t want to listen. We will not fold our hands and see our country destroyed.
“We will take action and the action will be taken professionally. Anyone that is caught will be taken to the courts to be dealt with,” he added.
Musa said the military had remained professional in its conducts since the commencement of the protest.
He said that the federal government has shown its commitment by upholding its promise of allowing people to associate freely.
“Clearly, the security forces have done extremely well and I’m very happy to mention one, especially the Nigerian police force, have shown a lot of professionalism, including where members of the armed forces had to step in.
“You can see that we have remained very professional in our conduct and we will continue to do that as long as the citizens also understand that there is a difference between peace and criminality.
“What we saw yesterday was, at the beginning, some semblance of a very peaceful demonstration, but which was quickly taken over by a bunch of criminals that don’t mean us well.
“And if you remember, we have warned that there are individuals that are ready to cause mayhem once this starts.
“And so I want to appeal to Nigerians to understand that the federal government is doing the best it can for the country,” he said.
In a related development, Spokesperson for Defence Media Operations Major General Edward Buba said armed forces seek to bring stability wherever it may be needed in the face of protest across the country.
“We have tighten security in several areas , bearing in mind the protest was hijacked and turned violent in some parts of the country.
He said, “sadly at about 2000hrs on 31 Jul 24 in the North East , lives were lost on the eve of the protest. The incident occurred when a female suicide bomber infiltrated and detonated her suicide vest in Kawuri village of Konduga LGA in Borno State.
“The incident resulted in 17 civilian deaths with several others wounded and are receiving treatment in hospital.”
He said that military operations are continuing to deepen it’s goal of eliminating terrorist and criminal elements particularly in the North East, North West, North Central and South East zones of the nation.
He said that in the South South Zone that troops have strategized operations to boost optimal output in crude oil production by curbing crude oil theft.
According to him, “overall, in July 2024, troops neutralized 572 terrorists, arrested 790 suspected terrorists and other criminal elements as well as rescued 479 kidnapped hostages.
“Additionally, troops recovered 440 weapons, 10,589 ammunitions and denied the oil theft of an estimated sum over #3 bn (N3,652,382,080.00) only.
“The breakdown of recoveries in the month of July includes and is not limited to the following: 232 AK47 rifles, 93 locally fabricated guns, 82 dane guns, 32 pump action guns, 5,041 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 2,768 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 659 cartridges, 63 assorted arms and 2,259 assorted ammunitions. Others are 3,650,080 litres of stolen crude oil, 625,518 litres of illegally refined AGO, 450 litres of DPK and 1,230 litres of PMS amongst other item.
The military remains committed and strong to its mission of defending the country and protecting citizens, he said, adding that citizens are urged “not to compromise on security, otherwise the security of everyone is compromised.”
He said that “things are improving. We are not where we are, but I can assure you we are heading there. And if we have the support of everyone together, we can bring total peace and the economy will grow.”
He commended the personnel of the Nigeria Police for the professional manner the protesters were handled .He noted that most state governments that decided to declare a state of emergency have called it off.
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