7 Kano Protesters Arrested, Yoruba Community Fears Attack

The Kano State Police Command has arrested seven persons for participating in Wednesday’s protest following the reported contradiction in the judgment of the Court of Appeal sacking Governor Abba Yusuf.

This was as the Concerned Yoruba Community in Kano expressed fear over the claim that Yoruba in the northern state might come under attack because “people here will believe that they were cheated by a Yoruba President.”

The PUNCH had reported that both the election tribunal and the Court of Appeal nullified the election of Governor Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party and declared the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Nasiru Gawuna, as the winner.

Following reported discrepancies in the certified true copy of the Court of Appeal judgment, a wild protest rocked Kano on Wednesday.

Addressing journalists late Wednesday, the Commissioner of Police in Kano, Mr Hussaini Gumel, said seven of the protesters were arrested around Kano Line while heading to State House.

“We have succeeded in preventing the protesters and we have arrested seven of them. We have deployed armed policemen to the area; we have since commenced an intensive investigation and we will update you in due course,” Gumel told journalists.

He enjoined residents to go about their lawful businesses as the police along with other security agencies had taken adequate security measures to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

“I am appealing to the residents not to hesitate to report to the nearest security outfits any person or group of people engaged in any form of protest in and outside the metropolis for prompt action,” Gumel said.

Meanwhile, the Concerned Yoruba Community in Kano, on Thursday, raised the alarm over an alleged possible attack on Yoruba indigenes in Kano and called on all Yoruba leaders in the country to engage President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a possible political settlement of the Kano political logjam.

The Secretary-General of the group, Taofeek Olaosebikan, who addressed a news conference in Kano, said, “We are using this platform to call on our leading Obas and leaders to come to our assistance by engaging President Bola Tinubu on the political situation in Kano.

“The average man already believes that the judiciary has been interfered with. We are calling on our fathers, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and the Oni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, to intervene without further delay.

“We are also calling on Oba of Lagos, Alake of Egba, Awujale of Ijebuland, Olubadan of Ibadan and other Yoruba leading lights to come to our aid as we won’t find it easy if the situation degenerates further as we actually expect it would.

“The people here will believe that they were cheated by a Yoruba President. That’s the word going round now. A stitch in time, they say saves nine.”