Protest: Journalists caught in crossfire narrate ordeal
The August 1, nationwide protest against hunger and bad governance in Kano, may not be forgotten too quickly by those who lost loved ones to the orgy of violence that greeted the protest, which was peaceful at the initial stage. Many whose shops were looted and property vandalised; and the journalists covering the protest but […]
protest
The August 1, nationwide protest against hunger and bad governance in Kano, may not be forgotten too quickly by those who lost loved ones to the orgy of violence that greeted the protest, which was peaceful at the initial stage.
Many whose shops were looted and property vandalised; and the journalists covering the protest but caught in the crossfire would also not forget in a hurry the monster that the protest was turned into.
Hoodlums seized the peaceful procession from the organisers of the protest who marched to the Kano State Government House, where they delivered a letter conveying their grievances and demands to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for onward transmission to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
But the events took another turn when the protesters outside the Government House clashed with security operatives manning the gate, as they attempted to force their way into the premises.
The security men fired tear gas cannisters to disperse the protesters, but instead of running, they became bolder, daring and defiant.
At that moment, some journalists decided to leave the scene which had become tensed and unbearable because of the tear gas.
A Daily Trust vehicle was attacked and the windscreen smashed. The driver’s mobile phone was stolen while he was trying to manoeuvre his way out of the commotion.
Eleven journalists rushed into a bus belonging to a television station and zoomed off, but met sticks-carrying protesters around Sokoto Road by Marhaba Cinema junction.
Ibrahim Isah Ayyuba, a TVC reporter who was sitting by the window side, was hit by broken glasses and sustained a cut on his left hand when the protesters attacked the vehicle. The side windows of the vehicle were smashed.
“On that fateful day, we had gone to several places and 11 of us were on board the bus when we ran into the protesters with sticks and daggers.
“One of them asked us to give him money and before we knew it, they started hitting the bus with sticks. I was sitting by the window and so the broken glasses hit me, but thankfully, it missed my eyes. But I sustained cuts my hands.
“Eventually, we managed to escape the scene and moved to the NUJ Press Centre from where we sent our reports.
“Regardless of what happened, we continued with our work; sending updates as required. It is part of the hazards of the journalism job that we have signed to do, Inshallah,” said Ayyuba.
Daily Trust reporter, Salim Ibrahim Umar, was also on the same bus and he corroborated the account of Ayyuba, saying they escaped by the whiskers.
Sadiq Ilyasu, a Channels TV reporter, and his cameraman, John Umar, who were in the same bus, wondered why the protesters who were supposedly seeking an end to hunger and bad governance would attack journalists.
“It was crazy and the surprising thing was that we had gone to many other places but were not harassed until we met them on our way to the press centre,” recalls Umar.
An Aminiya video journalist, Abba Adamu, was also caught up in the clash between security agents and the hoodlums who hijacked the protest in Kano.
“On August 1, when the nationwide protest rocked Nigeria, I was assigned to cover the event. When I arrived at the Kano State Government House gate, the protesters had gathered to submit a letter to Governor Abba Kabir. However, a joint security team comprising of Police, Civil Defence and DSS officers blocked the entrance.
“The security personnel attempted to disperse the crowd who were trying to push forward. Amidst the chaos, a young man appeared at the front, and I saw that he was injured, though I was not sure what really happened to him.
“My colleagues and I tried to take photos, but the security personnel chased us away, without distinguishing between journalists and protesters.
“While the security forces attached to the Government House were dispersing the protesters, one of them hit my camera with his stick, causing immediate damage.
“We ran into the Government House for safety, but we weren’t safe there either. They followed us and we had to leave because we were not among journalists accredited to cover the Government House.
“The security personnel forced us out of the premises and then started throwing teargas in every direction. It was indeed a terrible experience for me,” Adamu recounted.
Victor Christopher, working with Cool FM in Kano, said he saw hell when the protesters clashed with the police in front of the Government House, where they had parked their vehicle. Christopher said he saw the protesters throwing back tear gas cannisters fired by the police and, therefore, asked his colleagues from Wazobia FM to leave the place immediately. Although, they escaped unscathed, their vehicle was vandalised.
Similarly, correspondents of some national dailies in Kano also suffered the harrowing experience.
One of the correspondents who did not want to be named said he was not personally attacked, but was tear-gassed at three different locations while the protest lasted.
Muhammad Adamu, a reporter with AIT, said while he was covering the protest at the Nasarawa Mini palace, police fired tear gas cannisters to prevent some protesters from joining the ones at the palace, forcing people like him to leave the place unceremoniously.
The Kano State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ) condemned the attack on journalists. Secretary of the council, Comrade Abba Murtala, in a statement, said the incident was unfortunate as the newsmen were only performing their duties as recognised by the law.
Normalcy is gradually returning to Kano and the state government has announced plans to set up a commission of inquiry to investigate killings, looting and vandalisation of private and public property with a view to ensuring justice for the victims as well as hold those responsible for the disturbances to account.