A peaceful protest against bad governance in Kaduna turned tragic on Thursday, as clashes between demonstrators and security forces resulted in the deaths of at least three youths and injuries to several others.
The protest, initially organized by a group of mostly unemployed youths, began peacefully with participants marching from the Rigasa and Abakwa areas towards the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, the official residence and office of the state governor.
An eyewitness account described the overwhelming presence of protesters, who far outnumbered the security personnel.
A surviving protester, who wished to remain anonymous, recounted the events: “We were marching peacefully and no one was carrying any offensive weapon.
I think the security operatives near the Government House were threatened by our large number.”
He continued, “Suddenly, a vehicle used for spraying hot water on protesters came speeding towards us from the Government House axis and sprayed us with hot water.
Then another security vehicle approached at high speed from the 44 Reference Hospital end.” In the ensuing chaos, as protesters attempted to flee from the approaching vehicles, three were struck and killed.
“No one carried any weapon; we were just carrying placards and chanting slogans against bad governance,” he added.
In a related development, it was reported that the office of the Kaduna State Traffic Agency (KASTLEA) was targeted by the protesters.
The incident led to a lockdown in the state capital, with major streets deserted and markets and shops closed due to fears of potential violence.
In response to the unrest, combat-ready police officers and other security personnel were deployed to key areas to prevent further escalation.
Many residents, who had engaged in panic buying of foodstuffs and other essentials the previous day, remained indoors, closely monitoring events through local radio and television broadcasts.
Educational institutions, including schools and vocational training centers, also shut down as a precautionary measure.
As of press time, there had been no official response from the police, although a clarification was issued stating that 2,500 personnel, not 25,000 as previously reported, were deployed to manage the situation.
