From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
Expectedly, the hunger protest, yesterday, was marred by violence and criminalities along Abuja-Keffi Expressway in Nasarawa State as hoodlums capitalised on the situation to loot and cause mayhem.
Commercial and economic activities, were affected as shops, banks and conventional markets were shut along the corridor.
The expressway was blocked against motorists. Vehicle windscreens were broken so forcing many people to remain indoors.
Tyres and woods were set ablaze on the road to make movements difficult while intra and interstate vehicles were parked.
As the mob massed through the now deserted road, they left behind pains, anger and frustrations behind. Those whose shops and wares were looted were seen counting their losses.
Some of the hoodlums used tricycles, popularly known as ‘okada’, to loot and cause mayhem. It was a field day for them because the policemen were very professional in their duty posts.
But as they moved massively towards Kugbo along Abuja-Keffi Expressway, the soldiers who mounted a roadblock refused them to enter into Abuja metropolis. This action angered them the more. So, they retreated with more anger causing more destructions and intimidations on innocent citizens.
When they got to Masaka Police Station, they made frantic moves to break into the station but were stoutly resisted by the armed policemen on duty.
Keffi town was impenetrable as the hoodlums engaged the police in a fierce battle to the extent that the policemen on duty called for reinforcement from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) before they could subdue them. Teargas was used freely and many arrests were made.
Recall that recently, a group, the ‘Take It Back’ movement called for a nationwide protest against hunger and bad governance in the country.
The group tagged the protest, “Days of Rage” which it said would hold nationwide from August 1 to 10.
However, top government personalities, groups, and religious bodies, including the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Muslim Student Society of Nigeria (Lagos chapter), and the Muslim Rights Concern, have called for the protest to be shelved, citing a palpable fear that it might be hijacked by infiltrators who do not mean well for the country.