Nigerian Police Apprehend Aisha Jibrin, 24 Others in Minna for Violent Protest

The Niger State Police Command has apprehended 25 individuals, including a 57-year-old woman identified as Aisha Jibrin, for their involvement in a violent protest against the surge in food prices.

The protest, which occurred on Monday, resulted in a major disruption on the Minna-Bida road and Kpakungu Roundabout, obstructing the flow of traffic and impeding the activities of motorists, travelers, and other road users.

According to Wasiu Abiodun, the Public Relations Officer of the Niger State Police Command, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, Shehu Umar Didango, led police patrol teams to the scene in an attempt to persuade the protesters to clear the road for public use. However, the demonstrators resisted, leading to the adoption of minimum force by the police.

Even after the intervention of the Deputy Governor of Niger State, Com. Yakubu Garba, who addressed the group, the protesters remained unyielding, resorting to violence and attacking the police with dangerous weapons, including stones, bottles, sticks, cutlasses. The unrest resulted in damage to police patrol vehicles and parts of the Kpakungu Division roof.

Among those arrested, Aisha Jibrin, 30, Fatima Aliyu, 57, and Fatima Isyaku, 43, all residents of Soje ‘A’ in the Kpakungu area of Minna, were identified as key instigators of the protest.

Items confiscated from the protesters included a bench and a stick used as barricade, three knives, one scissors, one cutlass, one saw blade, one iron pipe, four other sticks, two wraps of Indian hemp, and charms.

During interrogation, Aisha Jibrin claimed ignorance about the illegality of her actions, stating that she had informed a local youth leader, Hassan, who allegedly promised to notify the police of their planned protest but failed to do so.

All suspects have been taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Minna for further investigation. Authorities confirm that they will face prosecution, while efforts are underway to apprehend other individuals identified as participants in the violent protest.