#EndInsecurityNow: Journalists, Others Injured as Thugs Attack Protesters in Kano
AREWA AGENDA – Two Journalists and scores of others have been injured in an attack by yet to be identified thugs during a peaceful protest tagged #EndInsecurityNow along the Kabuga/Kofar Famfo axis of Kano State.
The Journalists were identified as Aliyu Samba, a freelance reporter and Abba Ibrahim Gwale, a sports editor at Leadership Newspaper.
Arewa Agenda gathers that the protest, organized under the aegis of Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), was to draw the attention of authorities towards empowering the newly formed Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit of the Nigerian Police, to address the myriad of issues affecting the north such as: Terrorism, Banditry, Kidnapping, Sexual Abuse among others.
Some of the inscriptions on the placards include: “Arewa is Bleeding,” “Stop the Killings in the North,” “Empower SWAT to Stop Killings, Kidnappings, Rape,” and so on.
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Speaking to Arewa Agenda, Mr. Aliyu Samba narrated that the protest had taken off from Kabuga and was peacefully proceeding along Bayero University, Kano (Old Site), “I was in front of the crowd covering the protest when I suddenly heard violent approach from behind me. When I turned back, I saw thugs approaching us and brandishing various brands of machetes and knives. We all took to our heels but they followed us and started inflicting harm on us. They struck me and even confiscated my gadgets. All along, the police were watching.” He said.
Also narrating his ordeal, Abba Ibrahim Gwale said he was also at the protest venue to interview protesters when the thugs suddenly invaded, “they appeared with machetes, knives, stones and other various weapons. I was slashed on the hand, hit on the head with an iron and even stoned. In course of the unfortunate incident, a man rescued me on his motorcycle and I quickly went to the clinic for treatment before returning home.”
Calls put to the leader of the protest identified as Aminu Sparrow rang out severally without response.
Also, efforts to obtain information on whether the police were able to arrest any of the thugs since they were at the venue of the incidence proved abortive as the Police Public Relations Officer, Kano State Command, DSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa asked Arewa Agenda to call back.
Arewa Agenda is a Publication of Young Writers/Journalist from Northern Nigeria geared towards Peaceful Coexistence and National Development through positive Narratives.
