…Shops, business places shot down
…Police arrests masterminder of Minna protest
From John Adams Minna
With barely three days after women and youths blocked major highways in Minna, the Niger State capital to protest the hardship and the rising cost of food stuff in the market, another protest has erupted in Suleja, the headquarters of Suleja local government area of the state.
Suleja is one of the four most populated urban cities in the state and host to majority of low income earners working in Abuja, the Federal Capital.
The protesters, mostly youths as early as 7:00am blocked the major road leading to Abuja, the Federal Capital around the popular cantomer bridge in Suleja town, causing heavy vehicular traffic for several hours.
The placards carrying youth said they are protesting the hardship and the high cost of food items in the market, adding that the situation has become unbearable.
The march through the major road through the emir palace roundabout terminating at the general hospital junction.
Recalled that a similar protest on Monday in Minna, the state capital brought business and commercial activities to a standstill for several hours before anti-riot policemen were deployed to bring the situation under control.
The state Governor, Rt. Hon. Umar Mohammed Bago while reacting to the protest in Minna on Monday in a media briefing at the government said the protesting women and youths had laid siege on the highway with intention to loot a trailer suspected to be carrying food stuff from the south.
He claimed that some people had alerted the women who immediately mobilized and blocked the highways as early as 7:00am before they were joined by the youths, adding that “they were told that a trailer loaded with some essentials was heading towards Minna and had planned to loot the items hence the decision to block the roads.
He disclosed that a number of arrests have been made inconnection with protest, stressing that the government is equally looking at various ways to address the current hardship and the rise in the price of food stuff in the market.
However the state government is yet to comment on the latest protest in Suleja even as the youths vowed to return to the road if the nothing is done to bring the situation under control before the start of the annual Muslims Ramadan fasting.
Meanwhile the Niger State police command says it has arrested the masterminder of the Monday peaceful protest in Minna, a 34 years Aisha Jibrin and 24 others in connection with the protest.
In a statement by the police command public relation officer DSP Wasiu Abiodun in Minna on Wednesday gave the names of other suspects to include Fatima Aliyu (57) Fatima Isyaku (43), among others and all of Soje ‘A’ of Kpakungu area of Minna.
Wasiu disclosed that during interrogation, the said Aisha Jibrin claimed that she was not aware that her action was illegal by mobilizing over one hundred women and miscreants to block the highway for a violent protest. She however said that she informed one youth leader Hassan in the area, who promised to inform the Police of their plan to protest, but did not do so.
According to the Police PRO, “all suspects were taken to SCID Minna for investigation and they will be charged to court for prosecution”.