Police arrest 25 women for protesting in Minna

Niger State Police Command has said that it has arrested the women who initiated the violent protest on the high cost of living staged in Minna, Niger state capital on Monday along with twenty-four others.
The initiators are Aisha Jibrin 30yrs, Fatima Aliyu 57yrs, and Fatima Isyaku 43yrs all residents of Soje ‘A’ of Kpakungu area of Minna, the state capital.
Besides the initiators, 22 other miscreants were also arrested and dangerous weapons including three knives, One scissors, One cutlass, One saw blade, One iron pipe, Four other sticks, Two wraps of Indian hemp, and Charms among others were recovered from them.
A statement from the state Public Relations Officer of the command, DSP Wasiu Abiodun said the lead initiator, Aisha confessed to the crime but claimed that she did not know her action was illegal.
“During interrogation, the said Aisha claimed that she was not aware that her action was illegal by mobilizing over one hundred 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 that he did not do so,” the police declared.
The PPRO said all the suspects have been taken to SCID Minna for investigation adding that they will be charged to court as soon as preliminary investigations are completed by the Command.
He added that an effort is ongoing to arrest other identified members of the violent protest.
The Commissioner of Police, Niger state, Shawulu Ebenezer Danmamman, called on the people of the state to be law-abiding and should not resort to taking laws into their hands but rather approach appropriate authority to address issues whenever the need arises.
Recalled that on Monday, a large number of women and miscreants mobilized themselves and blocked Minna-Bida road and Kpakungu Roundabout claiming to be protesting against an increase in foodstuff prices, causing major obstruction on the highway and depriving motorists, travellers 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 Umar Didango to the scene and after much persuasion by the Police, the protesters refused to clear the road for public use despite the intervention of the Deputy Governor of the State, Comrade Yakubu Garba.
However, the Police adopted minimum force to disperse the protesters who turned violent by attacking the Police with dangerous weapons such as stones, bottles, sticks, and cutlasses and damaged Police patrol vehicles and parts of the Kpakungu Division roof during which the women and other miscreants were arrested.