Police Arrest Initiator of ‘High Cost Of Living’ Protest, Others In Niger

The Niger State Police Command has arrested the alleged initiator of what it described as a ‘violent protest’ in Minna, Aisha Jibrin.

Recall that residents of Minna on Monday, February 5, 2024, trooped out in large numbers to protest the hardship in the country caused by the rising cost of living.

The protest started when a group of women blocked Minna-Bida Road at the popular Kpakungu Roundabout to lament what they termed the suffering under the Bola Tinubu government. They were later joined by men and youths stopping vehicles from moving.

Spokesperson of the command, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, who disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, February 7, said Aisha was arrested along with two other women and 22 other suspects.

“It could be recalled that on 5/2/2024 at about 0700hrs, a large number of women and miscreants mobilized themselves and blocked Minna-Bida road and Kpakungu Roundabout claiming to be protesting against increase in foodstuff prices, causing major obstruction on the highway and deprived motorists, travellers and other road users from gaining access to attend to their lawful businesses,”

“The Command immediately drafted Police patrol teams led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations DCP Shehu Umar Didango to the scene, and after much persuasion by the Police, the protesters deliberately refused to clear the road for public use, while His Excellency, the Deputy Governor of Niger State Com. Yakubu Garba equally availed himself at the scene and addressed the group, yet they turned deaf ears and chose to be violent.

“However, the Police adopted minimum force to disperse the protesters who turned violent by attacking the Police with dangerous weapons such as stones, bottles, sticks, cutlasses and damaged Police patrol vehicles and parts of the Kpakungu Division roof.

“In the course of this, the Police arrested the initiator of the protest one Aisha Jibrin 30yrs, Fatima Aliyu 57yrs, Fatima Isyaku 43yrs all of Soje ‘A’ of Kpakungu area of Minna and twenty-two other miscreants.

The following dangerous weapons; a bench and a stick used as barricade, three knives, one scissors, one cutlass.