Nine Feared Dead As Protesters Raise Russian Flag in Kano

Hundreds of youth mostly underaged took to the streets of Kano on the third day of the #EndBadGovernance protest, flying Russian flags and urging President Vladimir Putin to intervene in the hunger crisis in the country.

Despite the 24-Curfew imposed by the Kano State Government, protesters trooped out to streets of Kano, voicing displeasure over hunger, high cost of living, insecurity and bad governance.

It was gathered that the protesters along Emir’s Palace road, BUK road were cited carrying Russian flags and called on the Russian President Vladimir Putin to intervene in the hunger crisis in Nigeria.

The demonstrators, expressed a desperate and urgent need for change, saying that the current situation is unsustainable and that they would rather risk death from violence than continue to suffer from hunger and deprivation.

In an interview with one of the protesters, Auwalu Idi, he said, “We rather die of bullet than to die of hunger, we cannot stay at home and die of hunger.

“We cannot stay at home because we don’t have anything to feed our family, no water no food, this curfew, that’s why we are out to protest again.

“We are raising Russian flag because we believe Tinubu is playing his imperial master’s scripts, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the United States of America,” Idi stated.

During the protest at Kofar Nasarawa in the state capital, one Aliyu Abdullahi of Kofar Nassarawa Quarters was was allegedly killed during a clash with the security forces and the protesters.

An eyewitnes, Musa Tela, said that the deceased was killed when security personnel opened fire to scare the protesters.

Also, in Kurnar Asabe and Rijiyar Lemo, Fagge local government area, protesters clashed with security forces which resulted in the death of nine people including two women.

A resident of the area Aliyu Abdullahi who witnessed the incident said “eight persons were killed in our area including female and children. There was also an elderly woman who is now dead alongside three others while many others left with various degree of injuries.

“The curfew is still in place, people came out protesting and that’s when the security operatives swooped into action trying to disperse them and in the process they have to shoot for the clearance operation to be successful.”

Some of the youths also came out in areas such as Ungwa Uku Zaria road, Jaen, Gunduwawa and Tudun Wada Brigade to continue with the protests.

The State Police Commissioner, Salman Dogo Garba, told reporters that some youths, hiding under a program organized by an unnamed politician at the Nassarawa Palace of Emir Aminu Ado Bayero, stormed the streets, chanting anti-government songs.

He said, “It is true that some group of people who took the advantage of a program organised by one politician took to the streets in continuation of their violent protests but, we have suppressed them.”

When contacted, the police public relations officer (PPRO) Abdullahi Kiyawa, could not comfirm the death of the protesters.

Ahmad Sorondinki

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