- The police have recovered the vehicle
A mob momentarily seized an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) from security operatives during protests in Kaduna State on Monday.
The #EndBadGovernance protests, which began peacefully on Thursday, turned violent after suspected hoodlums hijacked the demonstrations, attacking innocent people.
Security forces managed to restore order initially, but following President Bola Tinubu’s nationwide address on Sunday, more protesters took to the streets on Monday. Some waved Russian flags and chanted anti-government slogans, expressing frustration with poor leadership.
In the Tudun Wada area of Kaduna South Local Government Area, young men were seen riding on an APC belonging to the Nigerian Police Force. They paraded in front of Shema Filling Station along Chawai Road, waving to the crowd as the APC’s siren blared.
A reliable police source, who requested anonymity, confirmed that the APC belongs to Mobile Police 1. The source clarified that the protesters did not gain entry into the APC but mounted it while the police inside maneuvered to dismount them without causing damage.
Mansur Hassan, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, confirmed that the APC was safely returned. “The protesters did not take over our APC; they only mounted it. The policemen in the APC had to use tactical maneuver to get the protesters off so that they would not damage it,” he said.
In response to the unrest, Governor Uba Sani declared a curfew in Kaduna metropolis and Zaria to curb the excesses of the protesters.