About 1,000 people embarked on a rally in Maiduguri, Borno State, on Saturday to protest what they said was their abandonment by the federal and state governments.
The protesters were largely made up of survivors of Boko Haram attacks on Gwoza, and families of Gwoza residents who are still trapped in the local government.
Scores of soldiers and armed police officers tried to prevent the protesters from embarking on their rally.
One of the protesters, a young man said to be about 26 years old, was shot, allegedly by a police officer, and is at present in critical condition at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
Despite the presence and actions of the security officials, the protesters got to the government house in Maiduguri.
After being kept outside the government house for several minutes , the protesters were allowed to go into the deputy governor’s office, where they insisted on being addressed by the state governor, Kashim Shettima.
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| Borno Governor, Kashim Shettima |
After over one hour of trying to placate and address them, Mr. Mustapha was told by the protesters that they would only listen to the governor.
“We voted for the governor and not his deputy,” many of the protesters said in Hausa language.
Some of them alleged that the governor was not concerned about their plight because he was not from Gwoza.
“They’ve burned down the entire Gwoza; emir’s palace, local government secretariat, police station,…” some of the protesters yelled while lamenting their situation.
“Most people are on top of the Mandara mountains of Gwoza. They are starving,” they said.
Few days ago, Gwoza residents were forced to go on top of the mountain, which borders Nigeria and Cameroon, after Boko Haram sacked and virtually destroyed the community, one of Borno’s largest, early Wednesday. The insurgent group later claimed the town for itself and mounted its flag.
The Nigerian military said on Thursday that it has commenced operations to reclaim Gwoza and other communities claimed by the insurgents.
While in the deputy governor’s office, one of the protesters, who identified himself as Liman Ngoshe, addressed journalist.
Speaking in Hausa, Mr. Ngoshe said those trapped on the mountains are forced to feed on fruits and rain water.
‘They are forced to soak rain water with their clothes and squeeze them for drinking after the rain stops,” he said.
He said those trapped had been surrounded at the foot of the mountains by Boko Haram gunmen, while corpses of those killed while trying to climb the mountain still littered the floor of the mountains.
The protesters said over 200 Gwoza residents were killed by the Boko Haram in the past week and lamented that they believed the federal government and the military had abandoned Gwoza.
As at 1:00 p.m., the protesters were being screened into a large hall in the government house, were they are expected to be addressed by the state governor. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Shameless Govt! They deployed soldiers to Osun where there is nothing happening compare to Gwazoa, imagine torrists capturing part of borno including military barrack!
ReplyDeleteMy brother or sister? I have never seen or heard anything like this before. Do we have government in this country at all?
DeleteIs the military really in charge here?
ReplyDeleteIt is.a serious issue
ReplyDeleteIf you people like,go to Chad or Syria,nobody cares,it is even better the whole Northerners leave this country to another country because every Muslim is a Terrorist........Look at what is goin on in Iraqi and other Useless Muslims all over the world doesn't want to demonstrate or say anything about it but when Isreal attacks Terrorist Muslims in Gaza,there fellow idiots here in Nigeria will come out to demonstrate....Islam is the real problem the world is facing and needs to be eliminated whereever they are
ReplyDeleteThat is the truth the world does not want to hear or confront.
DeleteChei, chei, chaiiiii, this blood you are sharing, there is God oooooooooooo
ReplyDeleteAnonymous August 10, 2014 at 1:00 PM you are so naive ple if dnt have anything to said just keep off your fucking stricken mouth close pls All Muslims are terrorist...O Really...???? Then, Who started the first world war ?
ReplyDeleteMuslims ?
Who started the second world war ?
Muslims ?
Who killed about 20 millions of
Aborigines in Australia ? Muslims?? Who sent the nuclear bombs of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki ? Muslims??
Who killed more than 100 millions of
Indians in North America ? Muslims ??
Who killed more than 50 millions of
Indians in south America ? Muslims ?? Who took about 180 millions of African p
eople as slaves and 88% of them died
and was thrown in Atlantic ocean ?
Muslims ??
Who has killed 1 million civilians in Iraq
alone? Muslims? No , They weren't Muslims.... And the list is long ....! So gets your facts right!!!
Today everything is clearly as the sun is shinning the reality of muslim ar thesame but we muslim shoulb be carefull about all our fucking foe's christìan is just a violent religion and muslim is the only way to salvation
@ anonymous August 10, 2014 at 7:25pm, Your write up is so poor that I forced myself to comprehend your statement. Your structure of English has only shown that your so called facts could be false. When we. speak about violence, then Muslims are the focal point here. Please in what way is the Muslim religion the. way to salvation? In spilling the blood of innocent people? Or in causing chao s, panic and uproar all over the world. Every exhibit of the Muslim is violence. The bible says in john 14:6-7 that jesus is the way, the truth and the life. repent now, that you may be rescued from the expected eternal damnation of sinners.
Delete