In a bizarre twist of events, a group of protesters in Kano State, on Saturday, were seen waving Russian flags while calling for intervention from Russian President Vladimir Putin due to growing frustration and belief that their grievances were not being addressed by President Bola Tinubu-led administration.
The development comes on the third day of #EndBadGovernance nationwide protests against hardship and hunger in Nigeria.
This is even as a violent clash between hoodlums and security operatives in Kano has reportedly resulted in multiple fatalities and numerous injuries on Saturday.
The affected areas included Rijiyar Lemo, Kurna to Bachirawa in Fagge local government area of the State, Kofar Nasarawa in Kano Municipal local government area, and Unguwa Uku in Tarauni local government.
According to eyewitness accounts, the francas started when a group of youths defied the state-imposed curfew and took to the streets to continue the #EndBadGovernance protests on the third day.
Abdulkadir Musa, a resident of Rijiyar Lemo, shared his experience, saying: “At least eight people were shot in our area, including females and children. An elderly woman and three others have died, while many more have sustained serious injuries. People defied the curfew and came out protesting. Security operatives then tried to disperse them and had to shoot to clear the area.”
Another resident, who chose to remain anonymous, reported that hoodlums attempted to loot shops, including a Rufaida Yoghurt outlet, under the guise of a hunger protest. Security agents dispersed the hoodlums, who responded by stoning the operatives. There were reports that a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) was injured during the clash, but the report has not been independently verified by LEADERSHIP.
A social media user, Aiha K. Nass, posted about the personal impact of the violence, stating, “We are here mourning our grandmother. The police have shot my brother Aliyu. He is now dead.”
Another social media user, Omar Khalid Saleh, expressed outrage over the police actions, writing, “The police in Kano are turning the peaceful protest into something else. Why the shooting and killings? You’re inviting trouble, to be honest. They just shot this teenager, and he died instantly at Kofar Nasarawa Kano metropolis. #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria #EndPoliceBrutality.”
Protesters also gathered along Zaria Road in Unguwa Uku but were dispersed by security operatives.
LEADERSHIP reports that the Kano State Police command was yet to address the rumoured deaths in the metropolis, leaving room for speculations to run wild, especially on social media platforms.
Efforts to reach the Police Command’s spokesperson, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, proved abortive as his phone remained unreachable as at press time.
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