Ongoing protest in Nigeria’s northwestern Kaduna State on Tuesday turned violent after armed thugs attacked the workers, throwing stones at them.
The protest is just on its second day of a planned five days demonstration by the Nigeria Labour Congress to protest plans by the Kaduna state government to “rightsize” hundreds of workers.
The workers had converged at the popular NEPA roundabout in the Kaduna capital city when thugs stormed the area and started throwing stones and other dangerous weapons at them.
Many of the demonstrators were forced to scamper for safety.
The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba has accused the state governor, Nasir El-Rufai of sending the thugs, but ARISE News is yet to independently verify his claims.
The armed thugs were however dispersed by security agents with teargas.
“Today is a very sad moment in the history of democracy in Nigeria. Early in the morning today, we got credible information that El-Rufai has hired one Alhaji Hassan and some thugs to come and attack us,” Mr Wabba told journalists at the NEPA roundabout.
“While we are here, they came but thank God we have chased them away because we have the number. We are not thugs And We Are Not Using Thugs we are Nigerian workers.”
By Abel Ejikeme
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