NBA Confirms Suleja Killing Over Hunger Protest
- Vows to defend victims
The nationwide hardship protest turned violent in Suleja, Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) confirming that at least three youths were shot dead by the police.
Vowing to take appropriate action to address the unfortunate incident, NBA also noted reports that over 15 persons may have sustained varying degrees of bullet wounds in the fracas.
It was further gathered the victims are in critical condition, having been taken to different health facilities in the area, including Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital in Abuja, the nation’s capital, for proper medical treatment.
According to eyewitness accounts, some protesters were gunned down by security operatives who forcefully dispersed the crowd that had blocked a major road, leaving passengers trapped for hours.
Speaking on the development, spokesman of the Niger Police Command, Wasiu Abiodun, promised to verify the report and inform journalists properly.
However, while Abiodun was silent on the reported deaths in a statement issued by the Command on the protest, he said some hoodlums were arrested for disrupting public peace and vandalizing property
But reacting to the incident, the Chairman of NBA, Suleja branch, Abdullahi Liman said going by the Association’s National President’s directives, he had gone to the residence of one of deceased, Yahaya Nda Isah, to get credible information for further action.
“The national level of the NBA has asked all the branches to constitute monitoring committees in respect of the protest.
“So, we are going around to see what is really happening. I got information that a man was shot dead and I came to the house of the victim (Yahaya Nda Isah) to confirm things for myself and I have seen the corpse.
“So, what we are doing now is to gather information in respect of the incident and I will reach out to the national level so that we know what to do next in respect of the issue. This cannot be denied.”
Ahead of the protest, the NBA leadership had promised to provide pro bono legal service for any peaceful protesters assaulted or intimidated during the nationwide hunger protest.
In directing chairpersons in all 130 NBA branches across the country to monitor the protest, NBA President, Mr. Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau (SAN), said the measure was meant to protect the fundamental and guaranteed citizens’ constitutional rights to assemble and protest.
Meanwhile, available reports indicated that trouble started when some youths defied the early morning rain to assemble at the Suleja Old Motor Park for their planned peaceful protest.
Leading a team of anti-riot operatives, the Police Area Commander, had attempted to disperse the youths, who reportedly shunned the police directives to vacate the area.
It was reliably gathered the youths insistence that their protest was peaceful and within lawful boundaries angered the police operatives who instinctively released canisters of teargas in a bid to disperse the protesters.
This unexpected reaction from the security operatives clearly infuriated the angry youths, who broke loose from their peaceful demeanour and suddenly became violent by attacking everyone in sight.
