Security Officers Tear-Gas, Shoot, and Brutalise Peaceful Protesters in Kano, Leaving Many Dead, Dozens Injured

Security officers sworn to protect and safeguard the lives of Nigerian citizens tear-gassed, shot, attacked, and brutalised peaceful, unarmed protesters at Kurna, Kano state, who were exercising their constitutional rights to peaceful protests on Saturday.

A video seen by West Africa Weekly captured the protesters marching along the streets of Kano, waving tree branches and chanting their grievances when an officer in a moving convoy fired a tear gas canister directly at the protesters in a bid to disperse the crowd mainly comprised of youths and children.

As the protesters dispersed, police officers were seen chasing after them with heavy sticks, which they used to brutalise the protesters upon catching up with a few of them.

According to reports, 15 people allegedly died, while 47 got severe injuries after the police sporadically shot at the protesters.

There have been a lot of reports of the #Endbadgovernance protest, which started as a peaceful one, turning violent as a result of police brutality on the peaceful protesters demanding an end to hunger, unbearable hardship, corruption, and, generally, the bad governance experienced under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

West Africa Weekly reported that while the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) admits to only seven deaths, at least 13 peaceful protesters have been shot dead in Maiduguri, Suleja, and Kaduna since the protest began on August 1. Even more, people have been tear-gassed, attacked, hospitalised, and arrested unprovoked.

In Kano specifically, while the exact total numbers are not known, “the police have killed many people because of peaceful protests,” according to a tweet by one @auwalmuhammas.

Despite this, the youths remain resilient in their demands for better lives.

Read More:

• Lagos Protesters Rejects Government’s Restriction To Single Location, Vow To Occupy Alausa On Monday
• Over 31 Protesters Arrested At MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja

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