Hunger Protest: Curfew Imposed In Parts Of Borno, Yobe States

• Buni Commends Yobe Youths for Shunning Protest*

A 24-hour curfew has been imposed in parts of Borno and Yobe states as irate youths took to the streets to protest what they called bad governance.

Brig. Gen. Dahiru Abdussallam, Special Adviser to Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni on Security Matters, issued the following statement.
“The Yobe State Government has considered the security situation in Potiskum, Gashua, and Nguru towns, where some hoodlums are taking advantage of the protest to vandalise and loot government and private property.

“In view of the foregoing, the state government has imposed a 24-hour curfew in Potiskum, Gashua, and Nguru.

“The public is hereby advised to obey the curfew order and stay at home so that peace can reign in these areas and throughout the state.

“The Security Agencies have been directed to enforce and fully comply with the curfew order.”

In Borno State, police responded by imposing curfews in other towns to prevent hoodlums from setting fire to the entire state.

The police declared the curfew in a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Office at the Borno Police Command, Nahum Daso, saying: “In view of the constitutional mandate of the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security and law enforcement agencies to preserve law and order in the state.”

“You are all aware of the incident that occurred at Kawori, which was the detonation of improvised explosive devices ordinance devices, which resulted in the deaths of 16 people while several others were critically injured and admitted to various government hospitals throughout the state.

“In accordance with our constitutional mandate to restore law and order, his Excellency the Executive Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Umar Zulum, in consultation with the state’s security heads, deems it necessary to declare a 24-hour curfew in the state, effective immediately.

“I therefore wish to appeal to the good people of Borno State to remain calm and law-abiding. Please keep me informed of any further developments.
Earlier, Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni praised the state’s people, particularly the youth, for appreciating the calls to end the protest as the state emerges from a protracted security challenge.

Governor Buni stated, “I am glad we are all on the same page; we clearly understand our situation; the state is just picking up the pieces, and we cannot afford to accommodate anything that will set us back.

“The good people of Yobe, particularly our vibrant youth, have demonstrated great love, concern, and patriotism to the state by rejecting calls to join the protest,” he said.

The governor promised that the state government would expand its policies and programs to promote economic recovery and growth while also ensuring broad coverage of beneficiaries.

“We recently launched a massive agricultural empowerment programme to boost agricultural production and ensure food security in the state.

“As you are aware, 20 farmers from each of the 178 political wards are benefiting from the empowerment programme, in addition to the employment opportunities that the government has provided to our youths in all political wards.

He assured that the government would make Yobe State a role model for both rain-fed and irrigation agricultural production.

The governor also assured that, with such understandings, the government would continue to implement people-oriented policies and programmes to improve people’s lives.