A 30-year-old woman, Aisha Jibrin, who has been accused of being the mastermind behind the mass protest against the high cost of living in Minna has been arrested by the Niger State Police Command.
Ms Jibrin was arrested alongside two other women: 57-year-old Fatima Aliyu, and 43-year-old Fatima Isyaku, and 22 others on Wednesday for being violent during the protest.
The protesters had taken to the streets on Monday protesting over the high cost of living and hardship in the country, they blocked Minna-Bida Road at the popular Kpakungu Roundabout in lamentation on the growing hunger.
Announcing the arrest of Aisha and two of her colleagues in a statement on Wednesday, the spokesperson of the Niger State Police Command, DSP Abiodun Wasiu, alleged that the protesters were violent towards the police who sought to disperse the crowd.
He said the protesters turned violent by “attacking the police with weapons such as stones, bottles, sticks, cutlasses and damaged police patrol vehicles and parts of the Kpakungu Division roof.”
The statement read, “It could be recalled that on February 5, 2024, at about 7 am, a large number of women and miscreants mobilized and blocked Minna-Bida road and Kpakungu Roundabout claiming to be protesting against increase in foodstuff prices, causing a major obstruction on the highway and deprived motorists, travelers and other road users from gaining access to attend to their lawful businesses.
“The command immediately drafted police patrol teams led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations – DCP Shehu Didango to the scene, and after much persuasion by the police, the protesters deliberately refused to clear the road for public use, while His Excellency, the Deputy Governor of Niger State, Yakubu Garba, equally availed himself at the scene and addressed the group, yet they turned deaf ears and chose to be violent.
“However, the police adopted minimum force to disperse the protesters who turned violent by attacking the police with weapons such as stones, bottles, sticks, cutlasses and damaged Police patrol vehicles and parts of the Kpakungu Division roof.
“In the course of this, the police arrested the initiator of the protest, one Aisha Jibrin 30yrs, Fatima Aliyu 57yrs, Fatima Isyaku 43yrs all of Soje ‘A’ of Kpakungu area of Minna, and 22 other miscreants with the following weapons:
“A bench and a stick used as a barricade, three knives, one scissors, one cutlass, one saw blade, one iron pipe, four other sticks, two wraps of Indian hemp, charms, etc.
“During interrogation, the said Aisha claimed that she was not aware that her action was illegal by mobilizing over 100 women and miscreants to block the highway for a violent protest. She claimed further that she informed one youth leader, Hassan, in the area, who promised to inform the police of their plan to protest, but did not do so.
“Meanwhile, all suspects were taken to SCID Minna for investigation and they will be charged to court for prosecution, as an effort is ongoing to arrest other identified members of the violent protest.
“The Commissioner of Police, Niger State Command, Shawulu Danmamman, urges Nigerlites, members of the public to be law-abiding and should not resort to self-help, but rather approach appropriate authority to address issues whenever the need arises.”
