How APC goons instigated Kano looting spree: The Abuja connection

By Abdulmalik Suleiman

Protest is an essential ingredient in democracy in the sense that it is a tool by which governments across the world gauge the mood of the people with regards to how their leadership style impact either positively or otherwise on the people.

Conversely, for the people themselves, it is a platform for which they (the people) express themselves with regards to their feelings towards government’s policies and programmes.

Like it also said, any kind of action must and should generate the necessary reaction from those whom it is intended and this is what is playing out in the ongoing #endbadgovernance; hunger strike protest where the people are calling government to account for their stewardship.

The people of Kano are not in any way in exemption to the norm as many teeming residents came out in large numbers like other citizens of the country to protest the perceived mis-governance of Nigeria by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The protesters started their agitation a day before through series of road walks across the Kano metropolis.

These series of road walks terminated at the Government House where they met with Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf who received them.

During the meeting, it was an atmosphere of friendly
conversation between the governor and the protesters as the exchanges led to some form of compromise with the resolution suggesting that the entire protest must be peaceful, without any recourse to violence.

The action and disposition of Governor Yusuf with regards to the protest earned him positive acclaim and commendation from far and wide with many lauding him for this. One of those who commended the governor includes a popular civil right activist and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Femi Falana who led other members of the civil society organizations in the commendation spree.

And in fairness to the protesters they organized themselves peacefully and orderly until the APC thugs descended on them.

That was the situation until the protest was hijacked by the APC elements in Abuja led by the National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje and the state chairman Abdullahi Abbas who redirected the protest to become violence, the dou actions were coordinated by Baffa Baba Dan-agundi with looting spree of public and private property becoming the other of the day.

For those in the know, the action of the APC goons can be traced to the carry-over of electrons defeat, tribunal litigation defeat and chieftaincy crisis rocking the state which they (APC) leadership created with a view to crippling the New Nigeria Peoples Party led government in Kano State.

It is a known fact that the Ganduje clan has been throwing its support for the dethroned Aminu Ado-Bayero as the Emir of Kano against the state government recognized, HRM Muhammadu Sanusi II.

Considering the fact that the clan has been unable to have its way on this and other issues, it has been utilizing every opportunity to distabilize the state and the current protest has provided it with the necessary ammunition to further cause damage in the state.

Intelligence gathered showed that the discredited APC leaders brought in 10 trucks of load of thugs to the state from various parts of the country into Kano to unleash the unfortunate incidence that culminated in series of mayhems that dotted the first day of the protest.

Owing for the prompt action of the governor in imposing a curfew on the state, the situation would have degenerated into chaos but it must also be noted that the antics of these elements will not abate as many of such will happen in future.