The nationwide protests against bad governance and rising hunger turned violent in Kaduna on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of three youths and injuries to many others.
The demonstration, which began peacefully, saw a large number of participants, predominantly youths and unemployed individuals, marching from the Rigasa area and Abakwa end towards the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, the official residence of the state governor. According to an eyewitness, the peaceful nature of the protest changed when security forces felt threatened by the large crowd.
The eyewitness recounted, “We were marching peacefully and no one was carrying any offensive weapon. I think the security operatives near the Government House were threatened by our large number. Suddenly, a vehicle that they use in spraying hot water on protesters came speeding towards us from the Government House axis…”
In Kebbi State, a tragic incident occurred as a stray bullet from a police officer killed a businessman in his shop in Yauri Local Government Area. The altercation began when protesters blocked the federal highway in Yauri town, leading marine police to fire bullets to disperse the crowd. Unfortunately, one of these bullets struck and killed an innocent plastic seller in his shop. Efforts to get a statement from the Kebbi State Police Command were unsuccessful as their spokesperson did not respond to calls or messages.
