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Tag: protest

  • Residents storm streets to protest abduction of students in Katsina

    Residents storm streets to protest abduction of students in Katsina

    Following the abduction of students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara local government area (LGA) of the state, residents of Katsina stormed the streets on Sunday to protest the said abduction.

    Recall that WITHIN NIGERIA had earlier reported how unknown gunmen attacked the school on Friday and some students had to scale the fence to escape.

    The Governor of Katsina, Aminu Masari also ordered the immediate closure of all boarding secondary schools in the state.

    He also confirmed that over 300 students were still missing as of Sunday afternoon.

    “Based on the available records, we are still searching for 333 students through either the forest or their parents to ascertain the actual number that have been kidnapped,” the governor had said.

    “We are still counting because more are coming out from the forest, and we are calling those parents that have phone numbers to find out whether or not their children have gone back home.

    “As a government, we are yet to be contacted by any group or person responsible for the kidnap of the students.”

    The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions, such as ‘Government Must Speak Out’, ‘We Want our Children Back’, and ‘We Want Security in Kankara’.

    They urged the government to ensure the immediate release of the students and protect lives and property in the community.

  • Police Protest Six Month Unpaid Allowances In Katsina

    Police Protest Six Month Unpaid Allowances In Katsina

    Police officers at Batsari Local Government of Katsina State on Thursday, December 3, protested against their unpaid allowances.

    The police officers took to the streets and blocked a major road linking to Batsari market but soldiers who later arrived at the scene removed the barricades.

    However, the soldiers action provoked the police officers which caused series of verbal exchange between the soldiers and the police but the district head Batsari Alhaji Tukur Muazu Rumah intervened.

    “Yes, I am an eyewitness, they block our way when going for Batsari weekly markets, claiming that we won’t have a business today because the government has not paid them their allowances for six months,” a resident, Muhammad Wada Bakiyawa, said.

    According to the state’s police spokesman, Gambo Isah, he said the story was not true. “It’s fake news, disregard it, it’s not true,” according to SaharaReporters.

    When asked about the pictures and video of police officers mounting roadblocks and arguing with the army officers, Rumah said that mounting of the roadblock was normal in the area due to high level of banditry in the area.

    “If they mount a roadblock, are they not performing their duties?” he said. “That place, do you know it’s a bandit area? The police are working with the military there. There is a special operation ongoing. They are working together.”

  • #EndHalfSalary: Plateau Local Govt Workers Protest Non-payment Of Minimum Wage (Video)

    #EndHalfSalary: Plateau Local Govt Workers Protest Non-payment Of Minimum Wage (Video)

    Plateau State local government workers, under the auspices of Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, on Wednesday, December 2, stormed the streets of Jos, the state capital to protest over non-payment of minimum wage.

    WITHIN NIGERIA reports that the union had before now, given the state government seven days ultimatum to pay the N30,000 minimum wage or face strike.

    Rattled by the threat, Governor Simon Lalong summoned labour leaders for a meeting on Thursday, November 26 to iron out the matter.

    However, it appears that Lalong and labour’s meeting was a deadlock as workers took to the street to show their grievances Wednesday morning holding placards and shouting out the governor’s name; demanding that they be paid their salaries in full.

    According to local reports, the workers have been on half salaries for over 9 years now and minimum wage not been applicable to them- they earn below national acceptable minimum wage.

    Here is a video of the protest below as obtained by Within Nigeria;

  • #JusticeForElechi: Newspaper vendors protest killing of colleague by Gbajabiamila’s security aide in Abuja

    #JusticeForElechi: Newspaper vendors protest killing of colleague by Gbajabiamila’s security aide in Abuja

    Newspaper vendors in Abuja on Friday protested over the Thursday afternoon shooting of one of its members Ifeanyi Elechi by a security detail in the convoy of Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila.

    Chairman of the Abuja Vendors Association Etim Iwara had in a letter on Thursday informed members of the association to converge at Area 1 axis for the protest.

    Mr Iwara urged them not to distribute newspapers. Watch video from scene of protest below;

    It was gathered that the security detail who shot Mr Elechi is an operative of the Department of State Service.

    Mr Gbajabiamila confirmed the incident in a statement on Twitter thread earlier on Friday that the “officer who fired the fatal shot has been suspended from the convoy pending the conclusion of the investigation.”

    According to him, Elechi was hit by the stray bullet, which was only intended to disperse a crowd while he was exchanging pleasantries with the newspaper vendors on his was out of the National Assembly.

    “A horrible incident has taken place. This evening as I left the national assembly, I stopped, as usual, to exchange pleasantries with the newspaper vendors at the corner,” he explained.

    “Many of them have known me since I first moved to Abuja and it was a friendly exchange. Unfortunately, after the convoy set out in continuation of movement, unidentified men obstructed the convoy which got the attention of security men in the convoy who shot into the air to disperse them.”

    The Lagos lawmaker narrated that some hours after they got to their destination, he was informed that the victim, identified as Ifeanyi had been hit by a stray bullet.

    The speaker commiserated with the vendors and deceased’s family, saying he values life and respects people.

  • Osun Retirees Protest Non-payment Of Entitlements, Block Govt Secretariat

    Osun Retirees Protest Non-payment Of Entitlements, Block Govt Secretariat

    A group of retirees in Osun State that left service under the Contributory Pension Scheme, on Wednesday, stormed the entrance of the Government Secretariat, Abeere, in protest over the non-payment of their entitlements.

    The protesters, armed with placards, lamented the hardship they were subjected to over non-payment of their entitlements by the state government.

    They were also singing different solidarity songs urging stakeholders to come to their aid as the state government is punishing them unduly.

    In other news, a serving Deputy Director of the Federal Character Commission, Alhaji Ahmad Balarabe, has been sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment by the High Court 3 sitting in Gusau, Zamfara State, for defrauding job seekers of N7m.

  • Pastor Sam Adeyemi reacts to suit filed against him and others for their involvement in the #EndSARS protest

    Pastor Sam Adeyemi reacts to suit filed against him and others for their involvement in the #EndSARS protest

    Following the lawsuit filed against him and others for their involvement in the End SARS protest, Senior Pastor of Daystar Church, Pastor Sam Adeyemi, has reacted.

    A Nigerian man identified as Kenechukwu Okeke, with the Twitter handle @HumanRightsNG, today November 10, filed the criminal complaint against some Nigerians who publicly associated with the #EndSARS protests.

    Kenechukwu alleged that his properties were destroyed during the riots “instigated and incited” by the 50 “accused persons” and asked that promoters of the End SARS protests be brought to justice.

    The case was instituted on Monday November 9, pursuant to sections 88, 109(a), 110(1)(c) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

    Pastor Sam who was also listed in the suit as a defendant took to his Twitter handle to describe the lawsuit as frivolous.

    His reaction reads;

    ”Who sent this guy to file this frivolous law suit?”

  • BREAKING: Falz, Burna Boy, Kanu, Banky W, Sam Adeyemi, others dragged to court over EndSARS protests

    BREAKING: Falz, Burna Boy, Kanu, Banky W, Sam Adeyemi, others dragged to court over EndSARS protests

    An activist, Kenechukwu Okeke has filed a criminal complaint before a Chief Magistrate’s court in Abuja against Fifty (50) #EndSARS promoters.

    In the complaint, prominent personalities mostly entertainers and social influencers were listed. The case was instituted on Monday in pursuant to sections 88, 109(a), 110(1)(c) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

    The defendants include; Folarin Falana, Aisha Yesufu, Oseyi Etomi, Sam Adeyemi, Yemi Alade, Rinu Oduala, Peter Okoye, Paul Okoye, Kanu Nwankwo, Deji Adeyanju, Dr. Joe Abah, Banky W, Kiki Mordi, Modupe Odele, Burna Boy.

    Others are Uche Jombo, Tiwa Savage, Ayodeji Makun, Apaokagi Mayram, Ayo Sogunro, David Adeleke, Pamilerin Adegoke, Japheth Omojuwa, Micheal Collins, Chinedu Okoli, Yul Edochie, Innocent Idibia, Debo Adebayo, Feyikemi Abudu.

    Okeke, who alleged that during the protest, his properties were destroyed, states that the defendants who promoted the #EndSARS protests must be brought to Justice.

    He said, “I shall instigate a private criminal prosecution against all the alleged perpetrators and coordinators of the #EndSARS riots on Twitter. The nation bled, lives lost, and properties worth billions destroyed as a result of the sheer recklessness of some persons.

    “Having initiated criminal proceedings against the #EndSARS riots promoters at exactly 1052hrs WAT, 09/11/2020, we shall ensure that same is diligently prosecuted in the interest of defence, public safety and public order. The Federal Republic of Nigeria is country of laws.”

  • EndSARS Unrest: Many policemen still missing, unaccounted for – Police panel

    EndSARS Unrest: Many policemen still missing, unaccounted for – Police panel

    Following the destruction of many police stations and attacks on personnel of the Nigerian police at the wake of the EndSARS protests, the Inspector-General of Police Committee on EndSARS Protest Damage Assessment has said that many police officers in Lagos State are still missing and unaccounted for.

    The committee, which was in Lagos to assess the extent of damage to police assets on Saturday, disclosed that the level of destruction suffered by the force would affect the quality of policing and security in the state.

    The chairman of the 10-man committee, Yaro Abutu, a Commissioner of Police, told newsmen that many policemen had no stations to resume to, while other cops no longer had uniforms.

    He explained that his committee, which was heading for Ogun State in continuation of its assessment, had yet to quantify the losses suffered by the Lagos State Police Command.

    Abutu said, “Do you know that at some of the stations, we cannot account for the policemen yet because when the mob came, some (cops) were killed and taken away, some were chased into the bush and the waterways. So, these are the kind of things we are still working on.

    “We are still collating the number of destroyed police patrol vehicles, exhibits vehicles, personal vehicles and those belonging to the members of the public parked at the stations.

    “From the damage recorded in terms of police patrol vans, it has a heavy impact on the quality and availability of patrol services in Lagos for the next few months, even till next year; it is massive. And to compound it, the patrol vans are brand new.”

    The CP explained that police officers whose stations were razed were severely limited by the lack of offices from where they could carry out their operations.

    “They (policemen) are hanging around their stations like IDPs (internally displaced persons). Not only were the stations burnt, their uniforms were also burnt. Because of the cosmopolitan and congested nature of Lagos, most policemen keep their uniforms in their offices. A good number of them hardly go back home until the weekend.”

    Abutu appealed to those with stolen police firearms to return them.

    The team also on Sunday inspected police facilities damaged in Ogun State.

    The Yaro-led team inspected Atan-Ota Police Division in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of the state, which was razed down by the arsonists after the Divisional Crime Officer in charge of the command, DSP Augustine Ogbeche, was murdered .

    The team inspected the nearly-irreparable damage done to structure and the eight vehicles vandalised.

    The Police Public Relations Officer in the Ogun State, Abimbola Oyeyemi, described the attacks as one of the hazards of the police duty.

    “We are back on our duty. It is not possible for us to expose members of the public to insecurity. Despite what happened, police are back on duty and members of the communities are making efforts to make sure that they put all the facilities that were damaged in place. We are back on duty. Our men are not off the road; far from it.”

    The Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone-13, Ukpo, Anambra State, Danmallam Mohammed, has charged Commissioners of Police in charge of Anambra and Enugu states to protect the lives of police personnel and other citizens under their commands.

    Many police personnel were killed in the area during the #EndSARS protests, hijacked by hoodlums.

    In a statement on Sunday by the Zonal Public Relations Officer, Zone 13, Ukpo, Anambra State, Nkeiruka Nwode, the AIG tasked CPs in the zone to repel violent attacks in their commands with reasonable and lawful force.

    The statement reads in part, “The AIG, Danmallam Mohammed, has charged Commissioners of Police in charge of Anambra and Enugu respectively to deploy every lawful force to protect lives and property of citizens, police and government property, officers of other law enforcement agencies and their families from malicious attacks from persons, groups who might be operating under any guise and circumstances.

    “The AIG stressed that Zone 13 won’t tolerate a repeat of the outing that erupted in the past where police officers under the zone suffered fatal attacks, stations burnt and patrol vehicles set ablaze.”

  • #EndSARS: Youths desire accountability, says Okonjo-Iweala

    #EndSARS: Youths desire accountability, says Okonjo-Iweala

    Nigerian Ex Finance Minister, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has declared that the recent #EndSARS protests is a reflection of Nigerian youths’ desire for more accountable and transparent leaders.

    She, therefore, urged the Federal Government and other African governments to embrace open, transparent and accountable governance as the continent strives to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

    The former World Bank director made this known on Saturday at the 15th Convocation of Bowen University in Iwo, Osun State.

    Okonjo-Iweala, who is the leading candidate for the job of director-general of the World Trade Organisation, spoke on ‘Revisiting Africa’s Economy Post-COVID-19’.

    The convocation lecturer African countries including Nigeria must exercise greater caution with its rapidly increasing debt profile and to look inwards to grow capacities for their respective economies.

    She said, “Africa’s young population is increasingly demanding better governance from its leaders including transparency and accountability. Nigeria’s recent #EndSARS movement is a good illustration for the desired accountability.

    “A post-COVID-19 modern African economy must be anchored on these values of open, transparent and accountable governance; governance that gives youths, women and other marginalized people increased voice.

    “An important aspect of accountability relates with the use of financial resources including debts. Africa needs better and more transparence of its debts. Such transparency engenders trust of citizens and facilitates better working conditions with partners.

    “Africa also needs to exercise greater caution with its rapidly increasing debt profile.

    “The continent cannot afford repeated circles of rapid borrowings, debt sustainability problem and please to creditors for debt restructuring and forgiveness.

    “In this regard, an important aspect as Africa build back post-COVID-19 is the need to strengthen countries’ abilities and tools for improved domestic resource mobilisation.”

    It was reported that thousands of Nigerian youths last month hit the roads for about three weeks to demand police reforms and better governance of the country.

    The demonstrations later turned bloody as state actors attacked some of the young protesters at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos State. Rampaging hoodlums later hijacked the situation to destroy public and private assets in the country.

  • Actress, Iyabo Ojo cries out over threat message she got for supporting #EndSARS protest

    Actress, Iyabo Ojo cries out over threat message she got for supporting #EndSARS protest

    Nigerian actress, Iyabo Ojo has disclosed that a threat message has been sent to her for supporting the now hijacked #EndSARS protest.

    The actress disclosed this in a social media post she made on Wednesday, November 4.

    According to the mother of two, she woke up to a message from a friend that her name was being mentioned in government circles.

    She said;

    “So this morning I wake up to a message from a friend in the media, he said someone sent this to him,”

    “Now, if you are close to Iyabo Ojo, advise her to calm down. Smart celebrities who have brains don’t take on governments ooo. I was somewhere and her name was mentioned,” the threat message read.