• Protesters ground economic activities in Taraba
• Ododo lauds Kogi youths for shunning exercise
Hundreds of protesters, yesterday morning, clashed with security operatives at the Government House area of Katsina, with several persons reported to have sustained injuries in the process.
Trouble started when the demonstrators, several of whom rode on motorcycles, wanted to gain access to the Government House premises to lay their complaints to officials over the hardship being faced by Nigerians.
But the security personnel stationed around the seat of power refused them access. Following the defiance of the protesters insisted, the security agents were said to have fired several shots to scare them away.
But the action incensed the protesters, who resorted to shouting and pelting. As the situation escalated , the security operatives fired teargas canisters and sprayed hot water cannons to disperse the crowd. 
The protesters later lit tyres on the streets leading to the seat of power, while others continued to shout out profanities and throw stones in the direction of the security agents.
Earlier, youths, under the aegis of Struggle For Good Governance in Katsina State, had taken to the streets to stage a peaceful protest on the lingering economic hardship, insecurity and alleged poor governance in the country.
Led by Habibu Ruma, the young people were seen carrying placards with various inscriptions like ‘Economic Hardship is High’, ‘End Banditry Now’, ‘Reduce High Cost of Governance’, ‘Stop the Killings in the North’, ‘Our Families are Disintegrated’, ‘Agriculture is not Possible’, ‘Food is Costly’, among others.
It was learnt that the police command had given the group permission to hold the protest, and that agreement was reached on routes the protesters were to take in the metropolis. Officers were dispatched to accompany them.
The protest, which kick-started at the Kofar Sauri junction, was scheduled to terminate at the Government House, as the protesters were supposed to present a letter to the state government for onward delivery to the Federal Government.
However, economic activities within the state capital and its environs were brought to a halt, as business premises markets were shut to customers. Major roads within the state capital were also deserted, as motorists stay away for fear of attacks.
IN Taraba State, protesters defied pleas from Governor Agbu Kefas and some prominent stakeholders to cripple economic activities and barricade major highways in Jalingo.
Armed with placards, the marchers, who chanted various songs, called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently crash the prices of foods and other essential items.
FOR the ex parte order granted Kwara State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ibrahim Sulyman, by a state High Court late Wednesday in Ilorin, the demonstration could not hold in the state.
The restricting order, which served as a weapon that weakened zeal of would-be protesters, is to subsist until the determination of the motion on notice. The respondents in the case are Director of State Security Service; State Commissioner of Police, Kwara State Police Command; the Commandant, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp; Take-It-Back Movement; Mr Buhari Olanrewaju Ahmed, among others.
BUT, Governor Usman Ododo has commended Kogi youths for shunning what he termed politically-motivated protest in the country, saying that young Nigerians stand on positive side of history for not giving up themselves to be used as agents of chaos.
Describing the youngsters as “a force for nation building and the bulwark of national development,” the governor noted that their decision to organise a summit that examined the roles of young people in nation building, showed they were patriotic and believed in the transformative agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Ododo made the commendation while addressing a multitude of youths in Lokoja on Wednesday during the Kogi Youth Engagement Summit, themed: “The Role of Nigerian Youth in Nation Building.”
Addressing the youths, he said: “In February 2023, you came out in your numbers to elect President Bola Ahmed Tinubu because of your faith in his love for Nigeria and his capacity to bring hope to our situation as a nation. It is heartwarming to note that your faith in his patriotism, capacity and commitment has remained unshaken.
“The theme of your engagement today couldn’t have come at a better time than now. Nigeria is a nation of potentials. Unlocking those potentials will depend largely on the mindset of young Nigerians like you and I. The level of our nation is the level of our youth. A nation is carried on the strong back of the youth and we must begin to interrogate our roles in building a Nigeria of our dream.”
The Guardian checks yesterday revealed that the youths and other stakeholders in the state abstained from the nationwide #Endbadgovernance protest. It was observed that most strategic locations within Lokoja, the capital, were deserted.
Flash points such as Ganaja Junction, Government House Road, Paparanda, Obasanjo Square and Nataco were barricaded by security agencies comprising Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), local vigilantes and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
Most of the shops were also under lock and key. At press time, motorists, commercial motorcyclists and tricycle riders were going about their daily activities freely.
