Hoodlums hijack protests •As NLC shuts down Nigeria for the second day running •Miscreants disposess people of valuables in Abuja, Ibadan •Soldiers avert bloody clash in Benin •Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Edo suspends protest

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Written by Our Reporters Wednesday, 11 January 2012
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FOR the second day running, the nation was shut down by the general strike called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) with paralysing street protests that are now being hijacked by hoodlums and hooligans across the states of the federation.



Abuja
In Abuja, both pro and anti-Jonathan rallies were held with the labour protest witnessed by hundreds of protesters while the pro-subsidy removal group converged on Garki Area 10 to show their support for the government’s policy.

Protests in the suburb of Abuja were, however, hijacked by hoodlums, leading to confrontations and road blockades at Kuje, Gwagwalada, Nyanya and other parts of the territory.

Reports from across the states indicated that miscreants and trouble makers were going round many states of the federation, vandalising public properties and extorting money from members of the public.

Kaduna
In Kaduna State, the situation was so bad that many public buildings were vandalised.

Due to the intensity of the situation, the Kaduna State chapter of the NLC, under its chairman, Comrade Adamu Ango, announced the suspension of street protests, even as the strike continues.

Ango noted that the street protests are being exploited by miscreants, whom he said were out to create chaos, adding that the NLC was calling off the protests after due consultations with the civil society.

Kano
The street protests also turned violent in Kano State, on Monday, with the state chapter of the NLC meeting security agencies and civil society groups to call off protests as a way of shutting off the miscreants.

Also, labour leaders in Kano State resolved to suspend the protest as an honour to mourn those who lost their lives during Tuesday‘s clash with anti-riot police, just as they also suspended the protest based on the manner the peaceful protest was hijacked by hoodlums who used it to destroy property.

The NLC disclosed that instead of street protest, people should sit at home to observe the strike.

Chairman of the NLC, Comrade Isa Yunusa Danguguwa, told newsmen that “the suspension does not invalidate the strike as we will continue with it.” He called on workers both public and private, to remain at home.

He added: “The idea behind the suspension of today’s protest is to mourn those killed during the protest in Kano.”

Comrade Danguguwa further disclosed that a ‘stakeholders’ meeting would be held to discuss the next line of action on whether the protest would continue or not.”

Oyo
In Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, hoodlums took the advantage of the protest and started robbing residents, dispossessing them of their valuables.

They also attacked, robbed people and looted some offices and shops.

Meanwhile, the Oyo State government has declared a 12-hour curfew in the state with immediate effect.

The curfew would take effect from 7.00p.m. to 7.00a.m.

The government made this known in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Akin Olajide.

According to the statement, the curfew became necessary to the lives of the people of the state.

The government noted that some hoodlums and miscreants, under the sponsorship of some politicians, had been hiding under the present anti-fuel subsidy removal protest to threaten the security of the state, especially at night.

The government explained that it had to declare the curfew to protect lives and properties in the state.

According to the statement, government had instructed security agencies in the state to apprehend and prosecute anyone who contravened the curfew.

“While the government appreciates the rights of the citizens to protest, the protection of lives and properties of citizens is imperative,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, rampaging protesters on Tuesday attacked a Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) service station in Olorunsogo area of Ibadan, vandalising five new Toyota Hilux and three other vehicles at the process.

The PHCN station services Ogbere, Akanran and other communities were also affected.

An eyewitness told the Nigerian Tribune that it took the intervention of men and officers from the state Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to restore normalcy to the area.

It was also gathered that the Ogbere Police Station was also attacked by the hoodlums, causing the Divisional Police Officer in the station to call for reinforcement from the state police command.

South-East
Reports from the five states of the South-East geopolitical zone showed that the NLC in the states did not organise street protests, even though the strike in the zone was very successful.

A community leader in Anambra State, Ken Anozie, told the Nigerian Tribune that leaders of the zone had agreed that while the strike should go ahead in the zone, street protests should be avoided.

Ogun
No fewer than two persons lost their lives in a face-off between some protesters and security operatives in Ibafo area of Ogun State during the anti-subsidy removal protest on Tuesday evening.

It will be recalled that the state police command had alerted the public to some miscreants pretending to be protesting against the removal of the fuel subsidy, who had on Monday and Tuesday morning blocked the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, dispossessing motorists of their valuables.

At the time of filing in this report, the cause of the incident could not be ascertained but reports had it that there was sporadic shooting in the area.

An eyewitness informed the Nigerian Tribune that one Kaola, a diesel seller at Kara, Ibafo, was one of the casualties.

Those injured were said to have been taken to an unnamed hospital for treatment.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said that he could not give details on the incident.

Also, it appeared that miscreants have hijacked the protest, rallies in the state.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that some youths on Monday and Tuesday respectively blocked the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, especially the Mowe-Ibafo end of the highway by making bonfire, preventing vehicular movement.

It was the same situation in some areas in Abeokuta, as essential service providers and some people who had one reason or the other to come out of their homes were subjected to torture and unnecessary harassment at the hands of these unscrupulous elements.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune by phone, condemned the activities of the miscreants, saying that their actions had so far become intolerable.

He said: “The miscreants, along the expressway, were terrible; they were so violent at the Mowe-Ibafo axis very violent; there was no labour leader to coordinate them.

“They were snatching people’s property and I think the command is trying to see what we can do now as we cannot continue to contain their excesses. But we still want to advise that whatever they are doing, they should be objective in their agitations. They should not lose focus.

Lagos
The crisis generated by the protest against petroleum subsidy removal continued in Lagos State on Tuesday as two people were killed around Ketu.

There was also serious tension around Area G Police Command and Pen Cinema Police Station, as civil rights groups and residents of Ogba protested against the killing of a protester by the divisional police officer of Pen Cinema

The two persons, a commercial motorcyclist and another protester, were crushed to death by a commercial bus that was trying to avoid the bonfire in the middle of the road.

The death of the two persons sparked off serious unrest, as angry protesters attacked some of the motorists and threatened to set their vehicles ablaze.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the Ketu incident occurred when a Volkswagen commercial bus, at high speed, got to Demurin Street axis of Ikorodu Road to find a bonfire on the road.

The driver of the bus, while trying to avoid the bonfire made by the protesters crashed into a motorcyclist and another protester, who was standing by the roadside.

The motorcyclist died on the spot, while the other victim of the incident died on the way to the hospital.

The image maker in charge of the state police command, Samuel Jinadu confirmed the reports to the Nigerian Tribune, but claimed not to have been properly briefed by the divisional police officer in charge of Ketu police station.

Also, flight operations were, on Tuesday, totally grounded with over 500 international passengers stranded at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

Some of the passengers who spoke to journalists at the airport said they were told at the airport that their flights had been cancelled as the crew members of the airlines were trapped in different parts of the Lagos metropolis.

Mostly affected were the passengers of Arik Air, billed to travel to London and those of Ethiopian Airlines travelling to Addis Ababa.

The cabin crew of most of the foreign airlines, who made attempt to find their way to the airport, were chased back by angry unionists.

When the Nigerian Tribune visited the international wing of the airport on Tuesday morning, many of the passengers were helpless, not knowing when they would be eventually airlifted.

Among the stranded passengers were the aged and children, who were seen sleeping on the bare floor at both the departure and arrival halls.

It was the same experience at the domestic wing of the Lagos airport, where there were no flight operations with all aircraft kept on the tarmac by their owners.

As early as 7.00 a.m., various aviation unions took over strategic parts of the airport, preventing airport workers from having access to their offices.

Equally, all the aviation agencies had their offices under lock and key without their workers in sight.

According to some union members who spoke to the Nigerian Tribune, their presence was to frustrate any attempt by anybody to render the NLC strike against the oil subsidy removal ineffective.

Edo
An unidentified soldier shot dead one Evans Osobor, 21, on Tuesday, in the Esigie area of Benin City, Edo State.

The deceased’s father, Mr Saturday Osobor, alleged that a soldier attached to the state anti-crime outfit, Operation Thunder Storm, shot straight at his son.

Mr Osobor, who took the corpse of his son to the state CID headquarters, said his son’s death was premeditated.

According to him, “I sent Evans to fetch me something and while on the street, he was shot down by this soldier attached to Operation Thunder Storm. It was not a stray bullet; the soldier shot direct at my son.”

Meanwhile, soldiers came in between some locals and some residents of northern origin, on Tuesday, in different parts of Benin City, the state capital, averting what could have been a bloody confrontation.

The soldiers also secured Erie Street, home to Bureau de Change offices in Benin City, following looting and killings that reportedly occurred there on Monday.

It was gathered that fears over the escalation of what was becoming an ethno-religious clash prompted the deployment of soldiers to areas like Erie, off Sakponba Road, Second East Circular and Third East Circular roads in Benin City with a view to keeping the peace.

The development was fuelled by rumours doing the rounds that some persons travelling down to Edo State were burnt to death somewhere in the North in the commercial vehicles conveying them on the first day of the industrial action.

The two sides were wielding dangerous weapons and ready to unleash terror, as they stood on the opposite sides on First East Circular road with the soldiers coming in-between them.



Taiwo Adisa, AbujaFears that hoodlums had hijacked the protest as well as the need to prevent further degeneration of the situation apparently made the Edo State councils of the NLC and TUC to direct a sit-at-home strike in the state.

The organised labour, which hurriedly addressed a press conference, condemned the violence brought into the protests by persons whose agenda they described as mischievous, saying it was a negation of their ideal which was and remained the rejection of the removal of fuel subsidy.

It observed that though the labour protest in the state was peaceful, the event that followed the protest left more to be desired.

“The event that occurred after we had left were simply a negation of our ideals. We, therefore, condemn the act of assault on citizens who are better described as members of the oppressed…It is against this background that we feel pained and sad that some persons whose agenda we see as mischievous, callous and inhuman unleashed mayhem on very innocent citizens,” the labour said.

Border security
The Federal Government, on Tuesday, ordered the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Mrs Rose Uzoma, to beef up border security to forestall foreign mercenaries taking undue advantage of the current situation to create insecurity in the country.

The directive is coming against the backdrop of protests by the organised labour and civil society groups across the country over the removal of fuel subsidy by the government.

Minister of Interior, M Abba Moro, has equally ordered the service chiefs of the paramilitary agencies to massively deploy their men nationwide in order to contain any emergency that could arise during the protest.

Addressing chief executives of the Nigerian Immigration Service, the Fire Service, Civil Defence Corps and the Prison Service, Moro said the protection of life and property was of paramount importance to the government, saying no effort should be spared in protecting all Nigerians and residents.

I wonder why it took this long for them to start looting and causing confusion, thank God my people didn't take this protest seriously , we are just home chilling and enjoyin the public holiday, wives are happy