MILITARY BLOCKADE HALTS BORNO PROTEST AGAINST INSECURITY
Read Time:2 Minute, 41 Second
By:Tajudeen Aminat
The Nigerian Army on Monday deployed heavy armoured vehicles and armed personnel to Filling Polo in Maiduguri, the designated venue for a planned protest against rising insecurity and abductions in Borno State.
When our correspondent visited the area at about 9:35 a.m., the field was empty, while some suspected protesters were observed from a distance, apparently monitoring the tense situation.
Speaking exclusively, the leader of the organising group, Samaila Kaigama, said the protest had been postponed due to the heavy security deployment.
Kaigama, who also serves as President of the Borno South Youth Alliance, alleged that the security presence was intended to intimidate peaceful demonstrators and disrupt the planned protest.
“The state government deployed military personnel to the area. That is the situation at the moment,” he said.
“We have contacted our lawyer, who will revise our notification letter and submit it to the government, the DSS, and other relevant authorities. After that, we will set a new date for the protest.”
He also claimed that the heavy security presence discouraged participation, adding that some residents who had travelled from Ngoshe were unable to join the demonstration.
“They deployed the military to prevent people who came all the way from Ngoshe to protest about their children and wives in captivity, simply to intimidate them,” he added.
Kaigama confirmed that the planned protest has been suspended for now.
“At present, we are cancelling the protest and complying with what they want. If they require a formal letter, we will provide it. Once that is done, everyone I know in the human rights community will be on the ground,” he said.
“For now, they may use the military to suppress the people, but they cannot deploy the same force to rescue families trapped in terrorist camps.”
He explained that the protest was intended to highlight the worsening insecurity and rising cases of abductions across the state.
“The aim is to raise awareness and demand answers from the government. About 416 people were abducted, including 12 in Biu,” he said.
“We have made several efforts to bridge the gap between the government and the affected communities to explore negotiation options. We even bought time and facilitated discussions, but nothing has yielded results. The families continue to cry and plead, lamenting that the government appears more focused on primary elections.”
Efforts to obtain a response from the spokesperson of Operation Hadin Kai, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, were unsuccessful, as calls placed to his phone were not answered.
However, the Special Adviser on Security Matters to the Borno State Governor, Brig. Gen. Abdullahi Sabi Ishaq (retd.), said there are established procedures for organising protests in the state.
“I am not aware of the protest. However, it should be noted that anyone intending to protest must follow due process by obtaining clearance from the police,” he said.
He added that what is often described as a peaceful protest could easily be taken over by miscreants.
“They may call it a peaceful protest, but before you know it, hoodlums could hijack it and turn it into something else, and that cannot be allowed in this state. If they have grievances, they should follow the proper procedures,” he stated.
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