In Kaduna State, the State Governor, Uba Sani has imposed a 24hour curfew after peaceful protests turned violent.
The end bad governance protests which entered its fifth day on Monday, saw thousands of demonstrators waving the Russian flag in the state, while chanting slogans demanding the removal of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and calling on Russian President, Vladimir Putin to come to thier aid, as they marched on major streets.
The protest was said to be the largest in the state. The Kaduna State Police Command has arrested 39 suspects in connection with inciting violence, and displaying the Russian flag, as well as vandalising public and private property in various parts of the state capital. The suspects included the tailor who produced the Russian Flags and Chinese flags for the protesters.
The spokesman for the State’s Police Command, Mansur Hassan said the suspects exploited the End Bad Governance protest and unleashed violence against innocent residents. He also said some protesters overran an armoured personnel carrier loaded with live ammunition in the Tudun Wada area of the state. A viral video has emerged showing a group of young people in Kaduna begging the military to seize control of Nigeria’s government, sparking reactions on social media.
The chief of defense staff, General Christopher Musa, after a high level security meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday, warned protesters against flying foreign flags saying that it is a treasonable offence. Musa also condemned those pushing for a change of government, stating that security agencies would defend democracy.
Several posts on social media had suggested that one of the flags behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his national address on Sunday was Russian. To set the record straight, the second flag beside the national flag which bore four colours red, blue, white, and green belongs to the Nigerian armed forces, it signifies that Tinubu is the commander-in-chief as well as the president. The four-band flag should not be confused with the Russian flag, which has three colours, white, blue, and red.
In Abuja, security forces fired teargas at protesters who gathered at the Moshood Abiola Stadium on Monday morning despite the President’s address on Sunday, urging protesters to discontinue the protests.
Some of the protesters said that the president was yet to address their demands. Top on their list was the return of petrol subsidy and the overhaul of NNPC as they called for the sack of the National oil company’s group head, Mele Kyari. Over the weekend, a 2019 video showing the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mele Kyari promising to repair Nigeria’s four national refineries before 2023, sparking a wave of criticism.
In Bangladesh, the country’s prime minister, Sheikh Hasina has resigned and fled the country after weeks of protests against a quota system for government jobs, descended into violence and grew into a broader challenge to her 15-year rule. Thousands of demonstrators stormed her official residence and other buildings associated with her party and family.
According to reports, Violence just before and after her resignation have left at least 41 people dead and about 200 others injured. On Monday, Hundreds of thousands of people poured into the streets waving flags and cheering to celebrate her resignation. In South Africa, 23 year old Chidimma Adetshina, who has made into the last 16 of the Miss South Africa competition, has been a target of social media users who believe that she should not be competing since both her parents are allegedly not from South Africa.
The controversy came after it was revealed that Adetshina’s father was Nigerian while her mother was believed to be from Mozambique. However, organisers of the competition last week, confirmed that Adeshina is indeed a South African citizen, her mother being South African while her father is Nigerian.
Some South Africans have called for her disqualification, while others have defended her, saying that she meets all the requirements to compete. The country’s Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gaston McKenzie in a recent interview said her eligibility gives funny vibes, generating more reactions.
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