The Niger State government says the purpose of arresting residents of the state who were protesting over hunger and high cost of living was to extract information from them.
It also says administrative bail has been granted Aisha Jibrin and 24 others that were arrested during the recent protest in the Kpakungu area of Minna.
The commissioner for information and strategy, Hajiya Binta Mamman, told journalists in Minna yesterday: “They were arrested to enable the police extract information for further actions, after a thorough review of the circumstances that led to their arrest, they have been released.”
While noting that the protesters were violent, vandalising properties, she said they were arrested to curtail escalation of the protest.
“The protest occurred at the time the governor was presiding over the weekly council meeting and had in his opening remarks emphasised the need to come up with modalities that would cushion the effect of the economic hardship on the people when he received a distress call about the protest,” she stated.
The commissioner said the state government was committed to upholding the rights and freedom of all citizens, ensuring transparency, fairness and justice in all legal matters.
She called on the public to continue to be patient and show understanding as the government is not unmindful of the prevailing economic hardship but that drastic measures are being taken to mitigate it.
The commissioner appreciated the support of the public to the present administration while urging them to sustain it.
Aisha Jibrin, the alleged leader and 24 others were arrested for staging a violent protest in the early hours of Monday.
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