Groups protest in Katsina, demand end to killings

Hundreds of youth across Katsina State on Tuesday converged on Katsina town to protest the killings and wanton destruction by gunmen in their respective localities.

The peaceful protest, convened by Coalition of Northern Group (CNG) and Citizens Participation Against Corruption Initiative, was flagged off at Kofar Soro and concluded at the old Government House, Katsina.

The convener, Jamilu Charanci, said the protest was meant to express dissatisfaction over the government’s failure to deliver on its primary responsibility of protecting the lives and properties of its citizens.

He said the government has also failed to defend and protect the territorial integrity of Nigeria as more gunmen are invading from other neighbouring countries and launching attacks in Nigeria.

Mr Charanci said the protest was part of their constitutional rights to demands actions from their representatives to bring an end to the security situation across the North.

Katsina State is the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Earlier, the national coordinator of the group, Nastura Shareef, said the protest will hold across northern states on Saturday to demand for improved security and an end to the killings, kidnapping and wanton destruction of properties across the North.

He said the peaceful protest is also a renewed call to let go the heads of Nigerian security service chiefs because their hold onto power has degenerated to more blood baths and security breaches across the north.

The National Assembly had recommended the removal of the service chiefs over their failure to protect the lives of Nigerians. However, the president insisted on working with them despite the failure, the youth leader said.

‘Enough is enough, a cogent step has to be taken to halt the atrocities that have gripped the northern states. For about eleven years the north has known no peace,’ Mr Shareef said.

“We’re no longer convinced on the president’s directives on security issues and press releases condemning attacks because he has been doing so for so long, but nothing has changed. What we need now is to stop the massacre in the north,” he added.

Protest illegal – Police

The police command in Katsina said the protest is illegal as the protesters did not get the permission of the command before embarking on the protest.

The state’s police commissioner, Sanusi Buba, while addressing the protesters said such massive gatherings have violated the COVID-19 protocol of prohibition of large gathering of persons to check the spread of the virus.

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He said the police will not tolerate that because criminal minded persons can utilise the opportunity to infiltrate the gathering and carry out criminal activities.

Mr Buba, however, said the command on Monday, paraded 50 arrested armed bandits and placed a N5 million bounties on Adamu Aleiro, a suspected mastermind of recent attacks in Kadisau community in Faskari Local Government Area.

The commissioner said the police and sister security agencies are working round the clock to ensure security across various communities in Katsina State.