Victims of Ekpoma protest count losses, seek help

The January 10 protest against kidnappings in Esan West Local Government of Edo State left sad tales, pains and suffering behind as many victims had their shops either looted or destroyed, Weekend Trust reports. Many of the victims whose means of livelihood were affected have appealed to the state governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, for assistance […]

The January 10 protest against kidnappings in Esan West Local Government of Edo State left sad tales, pains and suffering behind as many victims had their shops either looted or destroyed, Weekend Trust reports.

Many of the victims whose means of livelihood were affected have appealed to the state governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, for assistance to enable them rebuild their lives again.

Some of the victims who are from the northern part of the country said their lives had been turned upside down and they were finding it difficult to take care of themselves and their families. 

They lamented that their shops were either vandalised or looted and they are now back to square one.

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They said the protest was peaceful and they didn’t envisage violence but were surprised when it suddenly turned violent and protesters embarked on looting and vandalisation of properties.

Recall that on January 10, youths and students in Ekpoma staged a protest against killings and kidnapping in the area, but it was hijacked by hoodlums, who engaged in acts of violence, vandalism and looting. Fifty-two persons were arrested and charged to court.

The governor had alleged that the protest was sponsored by a Russia-based  Nigerian  and those in other locations abroad, and warned that whoever that was involved, no matter his position and political affiliation, would not been spared.

One of the victims, Musa Abdulkadir, 34, who sells goat at the Idumebe Cattle Market in Ekpoma, said he lost 32 goats to the protesters who stormed the market. The Kogi State indigene who has two wives and four children said he was finding it difficult to feed his family following the incident.

He explained that he later recovered three of the goats that were injured and slaughtered them for sale to avoid losing out completely. 

|”I have a stand where I sell goats. The total goats I had were 35, but at the end of the protest, I only found three because we all scampered for safety. 

“I have lost everything we relied on for a living. To feed is not easy because I used all my savings to stock the place the previous week. 

“I have two boys working for me and we have been surviving from the proceeds of the three injured goats I slaughtered after the protest,” Abdulkadir said. 

He appealed to the governor, who he said had been supporting Hausa people in the area, to come to his aid so that he could go back to his business.

“I am calling on the governor because I lost over N3 million to the protest. My goats are big. None of them is less than N150,000,” he said.

For Jemilu Abubakar Kareem, who operates a provision shop and snooker game, as well as renting out shovels, cutlasses, diggers and other items to labourers,  said he was “left with nothing.”

The 33-years-old indigene of Kaduna State said he was in his shop when the protest affected the market and drove them away.

Kareem, who has two wives and five children, lamented that the money he realised on the day of the protest was looted.

He said, “I lost the N287,000 I realised from snooker game, sale of provision items and renting of building materials. After the protest I didn’t see the money and the items again.”

He also appealed to Governor Okpebholo for help to enable him rebuild some of his destroyed properties.

“I commend the governor because he has not been differentiating between Hausa and Esan indigenes. He treats us equally,” he said, and commended him for providing security in the area.

Abdurahaman Sanusi, 27, said he didn’t know where to start as his means of livelihood were destroyed.

Sanusi, who sells phone accessories, said he was left without anything as most items in his shop were looted while others were destroyed.

“I was in the shop during the protest, thinking that it was peaceful, only for the protesters to start looting people’s shops and I had to escape to save my life,” he recounted.

Sanusi, who also runs a commercial phone charging point, lamented that even the phones customers brought for charging were looted during the protest.

“Now, owners of those phones are on my neck. What was left in my shop after security agents arrived was the generator I use for phone charging,” he said.

He also pleaded with the governor to come to his aid, saying the only means of feeding his family were gone.

Also, Ibrahim Yakubu, who operates a provision shop at the Muhammed Market, by Hotspot Junction, said he lost all his goods. He told Weekend Trust that the protesters looted his goods and the money inside his shop. 

He said he was not able to savage anything as he ran for his live. He called on the governor to help him out, saying, “I used the money I saved from working at construction sites to start this business, but now, all is gone.”

Alfred Aminu Sojiji, who also operates a commercial phone charging spot and sells phone accessories at Orafo Junction, by Expressway, also called on the state government to assist him to bounce back as his business was destroyed.

“They stole up to 10 phones people brought for me to charge for them, chargers and other accessories during the protest. 

“My greatest problem now is that customers are disturbing for their phones. I don’t know what to do now,” he lamented.

On his part, Bawa Umar, a senior special assistant to the governor on Arewa matters, Edo Central, described the protest as unfortunate, saying they carry out legitimate businesses at the cattle market and other areas. He wondered why the protesters had to loot their goods.

“We are not kidnappers. We don’t engage in criminality. Governor Okpebholo believes in justice and doesn’t discriminate. I know he will do something to help those who have been pushed out of businesses to start afresh,” he said.

While commending the governor for providing security in the area, he appealed to him to assist those whose shops were vandalised and looted.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Information in the state, Kassim Afegbua, assured the victims that the governor would look into their appeal after investigation.

“After investigation, the state government will come up with a decision on what to do,” Afegbua said, adding that Edo State is home for all and the government would try as much as possible to promote unity among everyone in the state, whether indigenes or non indigenes. He also said the state government frowned at a deliberate attempt to promote ethnicity and division.