The police said that on February 5, 2024, a lot of women and some troublemakers gathered and blocked the Minna-Bida road and Kpakungu Roundabout.
They said they were protesting because food prices had gone up a lot, which made it hard for people to buy food.
This caused a big problem on the road, and people couldn’t go where they needed to go for their work or other things they had to do.
The police went to the scene, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Shehu Umar Didango, to talk to the protesters.
They tried to convince them to clear the road so others could use it, but the protesters didn’t listen.
Even the Deputy Governor of Niger State, Com. Yakubu Garba, came and talked to them, but they still didn’t listen and got violent.
The police said the protesters started attacking them with dangerous things like rocks, bottles, sticks, and knives. They even damaged police cars and part of the Kpakungu Division building.
The police arrested the person who started the protest, Aisha Jibrin, and some other people involved. They found dangerous things with them, like knives, a cutlass, and drugs.
Aisha said she didn’t know it was wrong to organize the protest. She said she told a youth leader in the area about it, but he didn’t tell the police.
All the people arrested were taken to SCID Minna for questioning, and the police said they would be taken to court. They’re still looking for other people involved in the protest.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Shawulu Ebenezer Danmamman, asked everyone to follow the law and not take matters into their own hands. He said people should talk to the right authorities when they have problems.
But a human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, said the women should be released immediately.
He said they were just standing up for what they believe in, and there might be more protests like this in Nigeria.
