The Department of Security Service (DSS), Police and other security agencies on Wednesday sealed off the premises of the Kano State Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ (Press Centre).
The sealing off of the premises was executed after a group announced the Press Centre as the venue of a peaceful protest against the deteriorating insecurity in the country.
The organisers of the protest had posted the venue on Social Media, inviting the public to attend.
But the post triggered the deployment of security vehicles with fully armed personnel on standby around the premises of the Press Centre and across the street while the gate of the NUJ Secretariat was shut.
Speaking in front of the Press Centre, one of the conveners of the protest, Barrister Abba Hikima, said “the essence of this procession is to protest and show our anger on the happenings and the way things are going on in this country security-wise.
“Everyone in this country regardless of where he comes from is aware of the nature and security of Nigeria and people are aware that nobody is sleeping with his two eyes closed right now and nobody is doing anything about it.
“Our leaders don’t seem to care but only concerned about things that are not important – book launch and others.
“That is why we are here to call on this government that we are the electorates that send them over there. They are supposed to be our servants.
“Constitution of Nigeria confers sovereignty on the people of this country. We have it not the leaders. They should wake up to their responsibilities and do what they have to do else, we will come here to protest and protest forever until they do what they have to do.
“We don’t have to write to the police or anybody before we can come out and protest. This is a decision if the court and this is the provision of section 39 in the Constitution of Nigeria.”
Reacting to the development, Kano state chairman of NUJ, Abbas Ibrahim, said they were not aware of the protest, and did not give anybody permission to hold or use the Press Centre as a ground or starting point for any protest.
“What we know is that a group called Coalition of Northern Groups have informed us of a press briefing which they want to use the Press Centre to hold. But when our attention was drawn to it in the late evening hours of yesterday, we decline the permission and ask them to use another place.”
“We have not granted any permission to anybody to come here and start a protest.”
