Some major roads in Minna, Niger State, was yesterday flooded by residents protesting the high cost of living, lamenting that the development is sending many Nigerians to early graves.
But Governor Mohammed Umar Bago in his immediate reaction, blamed the protest on those he said were out to hijack trucks conveying foodstuffs to Minna from Lagos.
This came as the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, asked President Bola Tinubu to immediately address the high cost of living in the country, saying many Nigerians are finding it difficult to survive.
Similarly, Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State, pledged to personally meet with President Bola Tinubu to intimate him of the economic hardship and hunger faced by the people of the state.
However, the Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, also yesterday assured Nigerians that the hard times they are facing will soon end as a result of the right policies of the Federal Government.
The protest in Niger State started in the morning by youths who chanted war songs and were later joined by women and men.
The ever-busy Minna-Bida highway was blocked, halting vehicular movements as both commercial and private vehicles could neither come in from Bida nor move out of Minna, the state capital while the protest was on.
Also, vehicles coming from the Suleija-Abuja end were also trapped and could not enter the town freely for several hours.
The Kpakungu Roundabout which is central to most commercial vehicles to take off to different directions of the country especially to the southern part of the country, was completely blocked as passengers from other parts of the country were also trapped.
Consequently, traders and civil servants resident in the Kpakungu area had difficulties accessing their destinations and offices.
Motorists and tricycle operators who tried to manoeuvre the protesters were rough-handled and their vehicles and tricycles damaged.
Policemen drafted to the scene had earlier observed the protesters from a distance but later used teargas canisters to disperse the protesters.
Shop owners and residential houses in the Kpakungu area and environs hurriedly closed their shops and houses for safety.
Some youths capitalized on the chaotic situation and started extorting money from motorists, tricycle and motorcycle operators (Okada) passing through residential areas in desperate efforts to escape the commotion.
It was gathered that private vehicle owners were forced to pay N500 each, tricycle operators N200, while Okada operators paid N100 to secure passage.
Reacting to the development, the state Police command through its spokesman, Wasiu Abiodun, said the Police had to apply minimum force to disperse the protesters.
“The police was this morning (yesterday) alerted that a large number of protesting people blocked Bida road, obstructing motorists and people were unable to go about their work. We had to deploy our men to the area.
“They (protesters) refused to listen to government officials, led by the state deputy governor, Yakubu Garba, as he tried to address them.
‘’As a result, we had to use minimum force to disperse them and it paved way for the eventual opening of the road for easy flow of traffic.”
He said normalcy had been totally restored to Minna, the state capital, especially the Kpakungu area.
In his reaction, Governor Mohammed Bago said the protest was due to wrong information received by the people that some trucks of food were coming to the state from Lagos and were ready to hijack them.
Addressing journalists at Government House after a security meeting that came after the protest, the governor added that the main reason was not because of rise in prices of foodstuffs or hardship but to hijack the purported incoming trucks of foodstuffs to the state.
“The real reason why women and youths protested in Minna was due to information they received that trucks of food were being conveyed to the state and the protest was being held to hijack the food trucks.
“Yes, we had restiveness of youths and women in Minna and this was unfortunate. They were yearning and clamouring for the reduction in food prices. However, since that time, we have been in a series of meetings and we have discovered the latest happenings.
