Kano residents on Thursday evening took to the streets in protest against the high cost of food items and other essential commodities.
The protesters who were said to have staged the protest around Kurna, Rigiyar Lemu and Bachirawa areas along the popular Katsina Road, lamented that the economic situation was getting worse daily.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Usman Bello, a resident of Rijiyan Lemo, said the harsh economic situation has caused untold hardship to the masses in the state.
“We masses voted for President Bola Tinubu. It will not be good of him not to listen to our complaints and address the pathetic economic situation we were facing.
“To pretend that all is well is dangerous. Those people closer to Mr. President should tell him the truth that the masses are suffering and dying of hunger,” he said.
The protesters who thronged the streets along Katsina Road expressed their grievances in Hausa language.
According to him, they had been pushed to the wall, hence the need for them to come out despite the harmattan.
“Everybody is worried about the situation, hence the need for us to come out and express our displeasure over the situation.
“The situation is worrisome, this prompted us to stage this peaceful protest for the government to come to our rescue, ” he said.
Bello added, “People cannot eat three square meals even the one square meal is now becoming difficult, as a bag of rice which used to go for N25,000 now attracts N70,000.
“Sugar which was sold for N8,000 now goes for N75,000.
“We want government to intervene by coming to our aid because we can no longer bear the ugly situation but we know President Tinubu is a listening President.”
Similarly, youths and women of Niger State took to the streets of Minna, protesting over what they called the biting hardship and the rising cost of living in the country.
The protest held on Monday when a group of women blocked Minna-Bida Road at the popular Kpakungu Roundabout to lament what they termed the suffering under the Bola Tinubu government.
They were later joined by men and youths stopping vehicles from moving.
The police operatives had to resort to firing teargas in the direction of the rampaging youths to disperse them. But despite the teargas, the youths continued their protest.
The Niger State Command spokesman, Wasiu Abiodun, who reacted to the protest, said the police had to apply minimum force to disperse the protesters.
“I woke up this morning with information that many people protesting blocked Bida road, obstructing motorists and causing people to be unable to go about their work. So we had to deploy there this morning.
“After so much persuasion, they refused to open the road, even the deputy Governor, His Excellency, was there to address them; we had to use minimum force to disperse the protesters, the road was opened, and there is a free flow of traffic now.”
Meanwhile, Governor Umaru Bago of Niger on Thursday ordered the release of 22 male and three female protesters who protested against nationwide economic hardship on Monday in Minna, but were arrested by the police.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hajiya Binta Mamman, told journalists in Minna that a mix-up led to the arrest of the protesters.
“The State government has directed the release of Aisha Jibrin and 24 others arrested by the police for leading the protest. They have been released and reunited with their families,’’ she said.
The commissioner apologized to the suspects, their families, and the people of the state over the arrest.
Mamman explained that the police clamped down on the protesters when their protest turned violent, resulting in the destruction of public and private property.
“They did not seek the permission of the police before embarking on the protest,’’ Mamman noted.
She explained that the release of the suspects was based on a thorough review of the circumstances surrounding their arrest.
“It was determined that there was a misunderstanding, and they have been exonerated of any wrong doing,’’ she said.
The Commissioner assured the people of the State that government remained committed to upholding the rights and freedom of all citizens.
