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Tag: protest

  • Scores injured as protest rocks Ondo Assembly

    Scores injured as protest rocks Ondo Assembly

    Scores of people sustained injuries Thursday at the Ondo State House of Assembly complex when security operatives shot sporadically to disperse the protesting youths.

    The youths had been on peaceful demonstration at the entrance of the Assembly along Igbatoro road in Akure, the state capital since last Sunday against the outgoing state governor, Olusegun Mimiko decision to present the 2017 budget and some bills 21 days to the end of his ‎tenure.

    They were also chased away on Wednesday ‎when news filtered in that the governor would be presenting the last budget of his administration.

    Already, there was a crack among the lawmakers as two factions led by Hon. Malachi Cokers and Hon. Jumoke Akindele are laying claim to the leadership of the parliament.

    Coker’s faction had hijacked the Assembly by resuming every day to perform their constitutional plenary sessions, while those who were in Akindele’s camp and also loyal to Mimiko had shunned the Assembly.

    The drama ensued when Mimiko and his aides attempted to enter the Assembly but was rebuffed by the protesters, who allegedly barricaded the road.

    In the process, the police was said to have allegedly shot sporadically to disperse them thereby leading to many of them sustaining injuries.

    The governor immediately drove away from the spot of the incident.

    Our reporters, who were at the Assembly premises, noticed heavy security presence at complex.

    Coker’s faction, who are 13 in number were still holding their plenary session as at the time the incident occured.

    The state Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Hilda Ibifuro-Harrison was seen entering the Complex.

    One of the lawmakers, who spoke in confidence said the CP asked them to leave the complex but they insisted that they would complete their sitting for the day before leaving the hallowed chamber.

    A leader of the protesters said “we normally have our peaceful protest at the premises of Ondo State House of Assembly, just like what we had on Wednesday, but surprisingly today (yesterday), Police men started shooting sporadically, stray bullets, and this is uncalled for.

    “We believe there is room for peaceful protest, as entrenched in our constitution, we believe we have the right to this protest, Just yesterday we called on the Inspector General of Police to call Ondo Commissioner of police to order, and I will want to reiterate that it is uncalled for.

    “We learnt that the Commissioner of police was even persuading the members of the house of Assembly already seated to move out of the assembly complex.

    “It is the same Commissioner of Police who was there few days ago and asked that the place be closed down,  it is the same Commissioner of Police who authorize the presentation of budget, it is the same Commissioner of Police who now asked the members of the house of Assembly to leave the complex

    “We don’t know why there is this issue of sporadic shooting in a peaceful protest,  it is uncalled for,  and we are calling on the Inspector General of Police to look into the matter and we’ll meaning Nigerians and citizens of Ondo State.

    “We have been at the Assembly for the past three days,  we didn’t know Governor Mimiko was even coming,  we have always been there to protest

    “What we are protesting for is to tell our people that the governor is bringing a bill that will bring untold hardship to the people of the state

    “We are harmless people,  we don’t have enemy to fight,  we don’t have guns,  we don’t have cutlass,  we don’t have any dangerous weapon,  so why shooting sporadically

    “Many of our members are injured,  it was sporadic gunshot everywhere and in the course of this  gun shot,  many of our members are injured‎”

    ‎But the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Femi Joseph denied that live bullets were used to disperse the crowd.

    Joseph said the police only used tear gas on them when some of them attempted to attack the convoy of the governor.

    “We have been diplomatic in our approach to the protesters since they have been around the Assembly.

    “But unfortunately yesterday, they went ahead to block the highway and they were also approaching the Assembly complex.

    “We have to react by using tear gas to disperse them when they attempted to attack the convoy of the governor‎,” the PPRO said.

  • Tuface vows to proceed with planned protest against FG

    Tuface vows to proceed with planned protest against FG

    Popular Nigerian singer Tuface Idibia, has vowed to proceed with his planned nationwide protest against the Federal Government on Feb. 5 in spite of mixed reactions by some Nigerians.

    2baba, as he is fondly called by fans, made his stand known on his Facebook page on Wednesday.

    According to him, the protest will go on as planned since it is meant to tell Nigerian leaders the need to ‘connect with the people’.

    He said: “I will not keep quiet. I’m just a musician with a point of view and the ear of my fans.

    “I have dedicated my time and resources to peace building, voter’s education towards peaceful elections and youth engagement in governance in Nigeria.

    “This match is about demanding that our leaders connect with all the people of Nigeria.”

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the ‘African Queen’ crooner had earlier in January announced his intention to lead a nationwide protest against the current Federal Government.
    He noted that many “Nigerians, especially the youths, were languishing in poverty with little to be hopeful for about the future.”

    However, the call by Tuface to protest against the government was welcomed with mixed reactions.

    While many of his fans, politicians and artistes alike, said the protest was timely and necessary, others said it was ill-conceived and politically motivated.

    Some of his fellow artistes noted that they would not be available for the protest, while others frowned at it in strict terms.

    While some celebrities like, Burna Boy, Davido and Alibaba are in support, others like comedian Bovi, actress Funke Adesanya said otherwise.

    Also, former ‘Plantashun Boiz’ member Blackface, who had not been in goo terms g with his former band mate, Tuface, is apparently not in support of the Feb. 5 protest.

    However, Tuface has remained undeterred saying “it is just a peaceful protest aimed at demanding answers from the government over different issues in the country.”

     

  • Rivers Rerun: Wike leads protest to police headquarters

    Rivers Rerun: Wike leads protest to police headquarters

    Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers on Thursday led thousands of supporters to stage a protest over alleged police high handedness in the just concluded legislative re-run election.

    The protesters also accused the police of killing PDP members and demanded the transfer of two policemen alleged to be masterminds of the police attacks.

    The protest which was peaceful started from Government House to Azikiwe street and Bank Road before terminating at the Police command headquarters on Moscow road in the city centre.

    Addressing the police, Wike told the state Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr Cyril Okoro that people of the state were fed up with alleged killings by some policemen and other security operatives.

    “On behalf of the Rivers Government and good people of the state, we have to let the police know that enough is enough.

    “We demand that Assistant Commissioner of Police in-charge of Operations, Mr Steven Hasso and the Commander of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Akin Fakorede be posted out of the state.

    “We have come here peacefully to communicate this demand and urge that this request is communicated to Police headquarters in Abuja because I (Wike) have written repeatedly (to IGP).

    “Please, I don’t want people to die anymore and definitely do not want corrupt senior police officers posted to Rivers state,” he said.

    Wike said the police had refused to sanction the two policemen in spite alleged video footage which purported the duo and other security operatives attempting to snatch results of the Rivers East Senatorial District.

    The governor described as unfortunate and worrisome a situation where policemen who are supposed to be non-partisan paraded themselves as politicians in uniform.

    According to him, the bias security operatives must be posted out of the state.

    “If they don’t leave the state, then we will do all we can to ensure that they leave this state because they have killed innocent people,” the governor claimed.

    In his response, Mr Cyril Okoro, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in Rivers assured Wike that the command will deliver the message to the Inspector General Police for possible action.

    Some senior government  officials who participated in the protest included Rivers Deputy Gov. Ipalibo Banigo; House Speaker, Dabo Adams, ex-Minister of Transport, Dr Abiye Sekibo and former Deputy Gov. Tele Ikuru.

    Others include PDP state Chairman, Felix Obuah, former United Bank of Africa Chairman, Chief Ferdinand Alabrabra and commissioners and state legislators. (NAN)

  • Detainee’s death sparks protest in Itire

    Detainee’s death sparks protest in Itire

    How did Nurudeen Aliyu die in the   custody of Itire Police Station? This is the puzzle his friends are asking the Inspector-General of Police (ICP) to unravel.

    Aliyu was arrested last Tuesday for fighting and detained at the station where he died on Friday.

    Aliyu who lives at 40, Aborisade Street, Lawanson, was allegedly beaten up by an Inspector before he was detained.

    A friend, Ettu, said Aliyu was killed and his body was taken to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) mortuary to cover up the case.

    He accused the police of extrajudicial killings in the area, recalling a similar incident that occurred last year.

    Ettu said: “The  Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Itire Police Station should know that you can’t cover this one up. Last year at this same police station, an Inspector  killed a secondary school pupil and a young guy around Oduduwa in Surulere.

    “This policeman is still in service as we speak. The annoying thing is that I saw this inspector three weeks after the incident. He has been posted to Agege Police Station.

    “I call on well-meaning Nigerians to reach out to the inspector and ask him why his men killed Nurudeen.”

    Lagos command’s spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent of Police (SP) confirmed Aliyu’s death, describing him as a habitual criminal.

    She said: “The suspect is a habitual criminal. He was alleged to have removed two people’s eyes through his usual attack on innocent people.

    “Last Tuesday, there was a distress call that he’s attacking some people again. The police arrested him and detained him to be charged to court but while in detention he vomited and complained of body ache. He was rushed to the hospital where the doctor on duty certified him dead.”

  • 115-year-old man leads protest in Anambra

    115-year-old man leads protest in Anambra

    I have no much time to live on earth,” declared 115-year-old Godwin Nwosu. “It could be days, it could be months and it could be years, but I will be the happiest man on earth if Governor Willie Obiano comes to the aid of the people before I join my ancestors.”

    Pa Nwosu is one of the elders of Aguluezechukwu, one of three communities in Anambra State cut off from other parts of the state. The two other communities are Ogboji and part of Oko communities. The communities are in  Aguata, Orumba North and Orumba South local government areas respectively.

    Pa Nwosu took it upon himself to rally the communities in a protest in a bid to get the state government to fix the road, even if it was the only thing he did before his transition.

    The road linking the three communities from Pal Junction in Oko-Aguluezechukwu-Ogboji has been abandoned for many years without any government attention.

    As a result, erosion has cut off the neighbouring communities, leaving the residents in severe  pain.

    The condition of the road is said to have forced some of the companies located along the road to go moribund.

    The elders say the road has been about three times without any positive result, while the military coup of 1983 stopped the former Vice President Dr. Alex Ekwueme from fixing it.

    When The Nation visited the place, it was discovered that their  farm produce such as cassava, yams, tomatoes do not get to the markets outside the communities because of lack of access road. The road equally links Achina in Aguata Local Government Area apart from the other three from the Pal Junction at Oko community close to Ekwueme’s house.

    The protesters said the state government only remembers them during electioneering campaigns when they come to seek for votes.

    Speaking with The Nation, Pa Nwosu said, “This road has been like this for the past 40 years because there is no person to speak for us especially in Aguluezechukwu; this community does not have one single road done by the government”

    72-year-old Mercy Nwankwo from Ndi Okpalaeze said the her people are devastated

    Traditional ruler of Ogboji, Igwe Festus Iyioku said they believed  Obiano would fix the road.  He said neighbouring communities no longer visit each other because of the bad condition of the road.

    “My people are suffering, we are in pains because we have no road, we plead with Governor Obiano to come to our aid,” he said.

    The Chairman, Obofia-Aguluezechukwu, Chief Bernard Chukwuka lamented that their farm produce do not go out of the community again because of the erosion as the buyers find it difficult to access the area.

    Some of the women carrying placards urged Obiano not to abandon them.

    Some of their placards read: “We are part of Anambra State, come and help us in our plight, “Oko- Ndiokpalaeze- Aguluezechukwu- Ogboji are no slaves in Anambra, our Governor come and rescue us“.

    Another community leader from Akpo, Chief Joe Ifediobi said the state government  is not moved at all by the lamentations of the people.

     

  • Protest as police fail to arraign alleged land grabbers

    Protest as police fail to arraign alleged land grabbers

    About 120 residents of Oko-Olomi community in Ibeju Lekki, Lagos Wednesday protested the failure of the police to arraign land grabbing suspects, Alhaji Mutairu Owoeye and Ganiyu ‘Garba’ Owoeye, at the Igbosere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

    The men and women from 15 villages in the community said they had been summoned to the court by the police to testify of the invasion and destruction of their homes on April 17, by thugs allegedly hired by the suspects.

    Speaking through their counsel, Mr Shem Popoola, they displayed a warrant for the arrest of Owoeye and one Ganiyu ‘Garba’ Owoeye issued on October 19 by a Wuse Magistrates’ Court, Abuja in suit No: IBK/FIB/FCIID/FHQ/ABJ/171/2016.

    The warrant, Popoola told The Nation, was issued following an October 5 petition to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID), Abuja.

    Popoola said: “They were arrested on Monday by a team from the Force Investigation and Intelligence Bureau (FIIB) Abuja and the head of the FIIB, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Shehu Umar, ordered on Tuesday that they should be arraigned in Igbosere Wednesday morning.

    “We got to the court this morning and there was no suspect, no Investigative Police Officer (IPO) and no prosecutor. I called the Commissioner of Police Legal Department, Abuja, and the prosecutor handling the case, Superintendent A. Oluwole, said his office had prepared the charge but had not seen the suspects.

    “We later found out that the suspects were released at 4pm on Tuesday, just after we left the AIG’s office and that no one knew where they were. We are shocked that people who were arrested on a warrant issued by a court could be released just like that.”

    He added that their homes were destroyed despite an injunction by Justice Abisoye Bashua of Lagos High Court, Epe in suit No: EPD/047/2016 ordering Mutairu Owoeye “to remove all thugs and hoodlums” in Oko-Olomi.

    “The villagers were violently attacked by the hoodlums and are all on exile. We complained to the police at Zone II, Onikan, to no avail. That’s why we went to Abuja. Our lives are in danger. We have been receiving threat messages from two phone numbers. We are crying for justice,” Popoola said.

  • Oyo shuts five schools over protest  

    Five schools in Oyo State have been shut down indefinitely over protests on cancellation of automatic promotion in public schools.

    Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Adeniyi Olowofela, announced this at the weekend.

    Three of the five schools are located in Oyo East and Atiba local government areas while the remaining two are in Akinyele, Ibadan.

    The affected schools are: Community Secondary School, Iyana Idi-Ose, Ojoo High School Ibadan and Isale Oyo Community High School, Oyo.

    Others are: Anglican-Methodist Secondary School, Oyo and Oba Adeyemi High school, Oyo.

    The commissioner informed government had proceeded to enforce the policy of “No automatic promotion” for students from a class to the next higher class in all public schools.

    He said that the policy was contained in a circular sent to education stakeholders across the state on April 23, 2015.

    Olowofela:” The efforts were to address our examination preparedness strategy with the immediate cancellation of automatic promotion in all classes.

    “Because we are usually ill-prepared for external examinations, our state always come embarrassingly short, even behind states traditionally considered to be educationally backward.”

    Olowofela said it is saddening some hoodlums parading as students have decided to cause mayhem in some schools.

    “It is our moral responsibility and sacred duty to protect lives and properties of members of the public.

    “Therefore, any hoodlum caught in any form of breach to public peace shall be dealt with according to the laws if the land,” he stressed.

    Olowofela also called on parents and guardians to advise their wards to go on with their studies and run away from all acts that could jeopardise their well-being.

  • Brothers’ arrest sparks students’ protest

    Brothers’ arrest sparks students’ protest

    Two University of Ibadan (UI) students, who are brothers, nearly landed in jail following their disagreement with a trader over a N450 Blackberry charger. Abdullahi Aliyu, a History student and his brother, Shehu, who has just graduated, were saved by their colleagues’ protest, which prompted Oyo State Commissioner of Police Sam Adegbuyi’s intervention. MERCY ADEDIGBA (100-Level Communication and Language Arts Education) reports.

    IT was a trivial matter but it nearly landed two brothers in jail.

    Abdullahi Aliyu, a History student at the University of Ibadan (UI), and his brother, Shehu, escaped being charged to court last Friday, following a disagreement over a N450 Blackberry charger.

    Abdullahi and Shehu, described as a fresh graduate, were arrested and charged to court by the police after being accused of disguising as soldiers to retrieve the money Abdullahi paid to a phone accessory trader, who sold a faulty Blackberry charger to Abdullahi. The duo were beaten up by the police before being taken to Ojoo Police Station.

    When other students got wind of their colleagues’ arrest on Friday morning, they took to the streets in protest. Abdullahi is a member of  the Students’ Union Government (SUG) and a representative of Nnamdi Azikwe Hall of the Residence.

    The students described the police action as “unjustified”.

    Activities in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, were brought to a halt. For several hours, the students blocked major highways, singing and threatening a showdown.

    They blocked the UI-Ojoo Road, Ojoo-Moniya Road and Iwo Road.

    To avoid the festering of the violence,  Oyo State Commissioner of Police (CP) Sam Adegbuyi, deployed riot policemen to the police station and the roads blocked by the students. The heavy police presence did not deter the students, who vowed not to return to their campus until the brothers were released.

    The development prompted the Dean of Students’ Affairs (DSA), Prof Adebayo Ajuwape, to lead a delegation comprising his deputy, Prof Isaac Abiona, SUG President Nifemi Ojo, Speaker Bello Onifade, Editor-in-Chief of the UI chapter of Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ) Haleem Olatunji, and General Secretary of Tedder Hall Temmy Gista to meet with Adegbuyi at the Police Headquarters in Eleyele.

    Adegbuyi assured the delegation that the  brothers would be released after the resolution of the disagreement.

    The CP said: “I have already called theDivisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge to facilitate the release of the students. But, all the parties to the matter need to come for the resolution of the disagreement. We don’t want to hear anything afterwards.”

    The brothers were released at 3.40pm last Friday. There was jubilation when they were brought to the campus by the DPO of Sango Police Station, Mrs Joyce Maiyaki. The protesters dismantled the barricades on the highways and left the Ojoo Police Station.

    Recounting how it all happened, Abdullahi said he was returning to school after a visit to his grandmother in Ojoo.

    “I stopped by at the Ojoo Roundabout to buy a Blackberry charger. I negotiated with the trader and he told me to pay N450. I bought the charger and left for school, without confirming if the charger was good or not. When I got to campus, I discovered the charger was bad.

    “I returned it to the trader, but I met his wife at the shop. After I explained the issue to her, the woman told me to go and meet her husband. When I saw the husband, he directed me back to his wife. And both of them started playing me around.”

    In anger, Abdullahi said he patted the trader on the shoulder, but the trader responded with punches. The student said the trader invited his fellow traders, who mocked him and told him to forget about getting back the money.

    He added: “They started mocking me. I remember one of them said, if I don’t want the charger, I should wait till the next two months when they would take delivery of new stocks. I left in anger and told them I was coming back.”

    Abdullahi, said he invited Shehu, who recently graduated from UI, to prevail on the trader to return his money.

    “When we got there, I discovered my brother knew one of the traders. They were discussing about how to pay back the money when the wife of the trader started shouting that a soldier had come to beat her up. She went to bring policemen, who held my trousers and asked me if I was a soldier. I told them I was not a soldier. Before I could explain myself, the policemen started slapping me on the face. They dragged me on the ground.”

    His brother’s plea to the policemen fell on deaf ears. Abdullahi claimed the policemen manhandled them. According to Abdullahi, they were accused of beating up policemen while disguising as soldiers.

    Abdullahi said: “We were asked to write statements. We were supposed to be released the following morning, but the policemen demanded that my brother must write another statement implicating us. They beat him mercilessly when he refused to write anything.

    “The policemen said they would charge us to court. My brother said it was okay. We called our lawyer immediately. The matter was taken to court and our lawyer asked the police to release us on bail. We were told the hearing in court is to hold on November 29. This triggered the students’ protest.”

    Bello, in a chat with CAMPUSLIFE, said he was happy the struggle “paid off”. He said the “innocent victims” would have been sent to jail if not for the students who cried out to the authorities. The SUG leader urged students to always stand up against injustice, using non-violent means to achieve their aim.

    Bello said: “The manner with which we approached this incident showed that we can always fight for our rights using non-violent but radical measures. I am happy by the outcome of the protest, because nobody was injured.”

    He said the incident showed the police still lacked professionalism in engaging civilians. According to him, there is need to train policemen on handling disagreement among civilians.

    “If it was not the maturity displayed by the DPO of Sango Police Station, the matter would not have been resolved the way we did. The police need to reassure the populace that they can be trusted. We must see them upholding professionalism in the discharge of their duties. Roping people into crimes they did not commit is not the best way to show police are our friends. There must be justice and fair play in their conduct,” he said.

     

     

  • Protest as 200 herdsmen, cows enter Enugu community

    Residents of an Enugu community, Agu Obodo of Obeagwu Ozalla in Nkanu West Local Government Area, have protested the arrival of over 200 Fulani herdsmen and their cows in the area.

    The panicky residents said they were overwhelmed by the arrival of over five trucks that were loaded with the herdsmen, their families and cows.

    The residents urged the “strangers” to leave their land within three days because they could no longer go to their farms.

    President-General of Ozalla Development Union (ODU), Chief Afam Ani, who led the protesting women, youths and traditional rulers, said the arrival of the herdsmen at the weekend caused serious anxiety among the people.

    The community leader said residents living close to their farms abandoned them and took refuge in other parts of the town.

    He told reporters that when the herdsmen were queried, they claimed to have been evicted from their previous settlement at Maryland in Enugu South Local Government Area and decided to resettle at Ozalla.

    Ani said the residents had reported the matter to security agencies, the local and state governments to evict the herdsmen.

    The community leader recalled what he called an ugly experience the community had with the herdsmen in 2012 when they allegedly attacked, raped and destroyed property.

    He said: “There should be no doubt whatsoever that what we are faced with is the forcible invasion of our homeland by Fulani herdsmen who are likely armed with dangerous weapons. We consider this act to be extremely provocative and totally unacceptable to our people.”

    The community leader said the herdsmen agreed to vacate the community within three days, adding that he had pleaded with security agencies to enforce the agreement.

    A traditional ruler of one of the autonomous communities in Ozalla, Igwe C. O. Okafor, described the development as embarrassing.

    The monarch said the herdsmen did not consult the community, either themselves or by proxy, before moving into the community.

    He urged the government and security agencies to evict the herdsmen because of the security threat they posed to the community.

     

  • Residents protest abandoned drainage

    •’500 lives lost in four years’ 

    Residents of Abule-Oki and nine other adjoining communities in Alimosho Local Government Area last Thursday stormed the Governor’s Office and the Lagos State House of Assembly to protest an alleged abandonment of the dredging and concrete lining of Arigbanla Canal.

    They claimed the abandonment, which usually caused heavy flooding in their communities had claimed no fewer than 500 lives of residents, including women and children since 2012.

    Alhaji Kamorudeen Bamidele, the chairman of Committee on canal dredging of Abule-Oki, Onajole, lower Akinola, Raji Rasaki, Alabede, Aboru and Cele Water, among others, alleged that the project contractor, Messrs Dully Dredging and Construction Company Limited, had collected N1.9 billion out of the N2.7 billion  project vote before abandoning the site last year.

    Bamidele said they resorted to protest to call attention to the dire need of the over 300, 000 residents of the 10 communities, whose lives are being threatened by the incessant flooding of their homes.

    He expressed sadness that a project which was meant to last for  12 months when it commenced in February 2012, had taken over four years, with no end in sight.

    “It has taken over four years and not even one tenth of the work had been completed,” Bamidele claimed.

    He further alleged that attempts by the Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Samuel Adejare, to mediate in the crisis failed as the chairman of the construction company, Femi Pearse declined to show up at the meeting.

    According to Bamidele, the canal requires proper attention because the area is the melting point for about eight separate canals as it collects all the water from Abattoir, Ahmadiyya, Agbelekale/Ekoro, Papa Ashafa/Mulero, Orile Agege/Dopemu, Oke Shagun, Akinola and Oke Odo/Abule Egba.

    Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, who was represented by Lanre Ogunyemi said the Committee on Works and Infrastructure has received the communities’ protest letter and the House would make a pronouncement on the development before the year ends.

    Ogunyemi said: “The report concerning this matter is already before the Committee on Works and Infrastructure of which I am a member and we are assuring you that the House will speak on this matter before the end of the year”.

    Also speaking Bisi Yusuf, the lawmaker representing the communities, said he is passionate to see the issue resolved soon.