Many Faces Of Protest, By Tunde Abatan
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno state is a governor not giving to frivolities.
As a state Governor in a war-ravaged territory brought by Boko Haram activities, he has so far kept his cool in the way he has managed the states affliction and also converted adversities into success in the way he has governed the state.
Hence, when his declaration on Thursday at the height of #EndBadgovernance protests that 95% of the protesters in his state are underaged, is a frank reflection of the nature, scope and perhaps hidden intent of the organisers.
That most of the Youths drafted into the exercise from his state are under 14 years of age shows the motive of the organisers in drafting Almajiri crowd to achieve its goal.
Zulum said: “Over 95 per cent of those who participated in the so-called Thursday protests were children under 14 years. Most of them do not know why they are protesting.”
If they don’t know why they are protesting, then what is the goal of those who drafted them into the streets?
Zulums declaration also shows that perhaps the innocent Youths were induced with money or other material gains to join the street protests.
Yes, it is clear that hunger knows no age, group, sex or religion but making children of such age group troop to the street is clearly an indication that organisers of the protest in the state are not bothered about the abuse such underage are subjected to and its implication.
In a situation where street urchins otherwise known as Almajiris carry the burden of the elderly to protest is not only child abuse but a reflection of the level of degeneration of humanity.
It portrays that after all, the humanity in the organisers is questionable.
That Zulum himself spoke of menace of Almajiris brought from other states to his state speaks volume of the original intent of organisers of the protest in the North this time around.
Since Almajiris are street urchins who can be controlled and manipulated explains the spate of violence which greeted the exercise in Borno and most North West states.
In this regard, Zulums objection to their presence in his state and determination to erase their menace is instructive.
It shows that the North East may break rank with other states since there is a disagreement among them on certain social issues.
Besides the Borno example, the rage in Kano where the protest which was supposed to be restricted to areas designated by the state police command, was carried to the streets, was a deliberate abuse of processes and to some extent exposure of the real intention of the organisers.
With street urchins seen looting, burning and vandalizing government departments which is unknown in the state, then more questions needed to be asked on the real motives of the coordinators in the North.
The pattern of a protest is determined by the participants and the scenario in the Northwest states speaks volume of a different variant of protest.
To be restricted to an environment while the protest lasted, is to all intent and purpose to guide against being hijacked by hoodlums.
That hoodlums hijacked and perpetrated much havoc during the Endsars protest in Lagos in 2020 is unquestionable.
This reason actually informed the decision of Police authorities and government which actually got a judgement from both Abuja and Lagos courts restricting protesters to designated areas in the metropolis for damage control.
This was however not to be carried out in Abuja and most of the Northwest state’s contrary to the experience in South West and Middle Belt states like Plateau.
The South East states refused to join the protests.
This explains why in most states of the North West, both the protesters who are mostly Almajiris and their leaders broke the rules and inevitably saw the ugly side of the police.
Since the Almajiris are prone to being manipulated by other forces, could it be a signal of rejection of government of the day by sponsors?
This is interesting since the loyalty of political players in Kano are divided between incumbent governor Yusuff of the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP and Abdulkadir Ganduje, former Governor and now Chairman of the ruling All Peoples Congress, APC.
The influence of current Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi could also not be ruled out in what happens in the state given his antecedents and attitude to Almajiris menace in the ancient city.
By vandalising and looting government properties and private concerns, the organisers in Kano could not claim to have achieved what they claimed to be their true intention which is to draw governments attention to pervasive poverty in the land.
Today, with millions of naira worth of properties destroyed, and infrastructural facilities like Nigerian Communication Commission, complex brought down, Kano protesters have borrowed a leaf from 2020 #Endsars destruction of property in Lagos and its aftermath.
Could this be interpreted as a deliberate change of attitude to issues by the North or are the protesters reacting to other extraneous influences as dictated to them by Leaders from the region?
With loss of lives and curfew imposed in Borno, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa -where 212 youths were arrested and detained by Police, the organizers have clearly replicated the violent 2020 Lagos Endears experience and its aftermath.
In the same vein, the Abuja protest and conflict with police is also to all intent and purpose an anger carried too far and beyond civility.
Yes, the saying a hungry man is an angry man is a truism but the deliberate violation of Police and security forces backed by Court declaration of confinement to Moshood Abiola Stadium is also contemptuous.
It is against the rule on how the protesters and organisers Hope to give good governance to the masses they claim to be fighting for.
The resultant face-off with police and deaths including injuries recorded in most parts of the North is however at variance with what obtains in the South.
This is because while core North West states like Kano, Kaduna, Katsina are burning, Lagos and other states in the South West maintain decorum and had less running battle with police while the protest lasted.
Could we also say that the level of insecurity in the South East in the past few years informed the unanimity of purpose of the states to back out of the protests?
Could it also inform the decision of most traders of South East origin to close shops in designated areas they control in the states outside their region.
For instance, in Lagos traders’ close shops in Alaba, Trade Fair complex, Ladipo spare parts market and others.
Is this deliberate or informed by unconfirmed threats that South West non state actors have planned to attack their business interests should protest be carried out in these locations.
This is because it is apparent that no destruction was made of those areas earlier mentioned during the #EndSars protest in Lagos when state and private properties and infrastructures were destroyed.
If this is so, the new attitude is pregnant and may be a signal that South East is beginning to carefully choose it’s battles among its hosts.
Though, it is evident that migrants from the region could form majority of those who participated in protests in designated parts of Lagos which came firmly under the guidance and control of the Police.
The South East states action may also be interpreted as a statement that the region might have resolved not to allow itself play the victim in Nigeria’s political chess game.
Also of interest is the absence of any clash between protesters in highly cosmopolitan Lagos and other cities in South West.
That the Lagos crowd followed closely the rule of the police from the Second day portray a decision to avoid conflagration as experienced during the EndSars protest in 2020.
The picture presented by that scenario is both political and ethnic.
Since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu hails from the region, does it mean that in spite of latent economic pains, they have refrained from rocking the boat while their son is in the saddle just like what the core- North did during Buhari’s eight Years tenure?
But for the incitement contained in the Anti Igbo call by an unknown Citizen of the former federal Capital, the Lagos protest marked a significant departure.
This is similar to the decision of protesters in Jos, Plateau state who also observed Sunday Service at the venue of the protest in the state capital.
That the depth of casualties from the Northern states and arrests made by the police is very high and a source of worry to President Tinubu is significant.
His promise to fish out and punish those calling for Igbos to leave Lagos is a move seen as evident of not be seen as a leader subtly encouraging his people.
It shows that he is not out to persecute non- indigenes who loathe him and never supported his ascension to the presidency.
The peaceful conduct of protests in South West, South South and non-participation by South East may present another study of political reaction and behaviour since the harsh economy bites in all parts of the country with no exception.
For the South West, does it mean the political elite saw and suspected a political game being deployed by organisers of the protest under the guise of economic hardship to push out their son?
The fall out of the protests and unfolding events will determine a new pattern of behaviour by different parts of the country even as President Tinubu promised to turn around the economy for the betterment of Nigerians.
Time will Tell
