The 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the House of Representative election for Dekina/Bassa in Kogi State, Usman Okai Austin, has submitted that the silence of President Bola Tinubu is part of what is fuelling the #EndBadGovernance protest.

According to him, those advising the President not to address Nigerians are not doing him any favour.

Austin made the submission in a post via his account on the X platform, while reacting to the protest against hardship and harsh government policies in Nigeria.

The former candidate said the protests were a signal of the people’s desire for change, and a direct address from the President would go a long way in reassuring the people.

He added that every minute of silence from President Tinubu is fueling the unrest.

The post tagged: “When Not To Keep Quiet,” reads: “Many Nigerians were expecting a presidential address yesterday to ease the growing tensions and unrest across the country.

“However, the absence of a powerful broadcast from the President has left citizens feeling disappointed and concerned.

“Whoever is advising President Bola Tinubu against addressing Nigerians is not doing him a Favour.

“This #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest will linger on. In times of crisis, a leader’s words can go a long way in calming nerves and inspiring hope. Unfortunately, the President’s silence has only added to the anxiety and frustration felt by many.

“The ongoing protests and demonstrations are a clear indication of the people’s desire for change and better governance.

“A presidential address could have been a crucial opportunity to acknowledge the grievances, offer reassurance, and outline concrete steps towards addressing the issues.

“The clock is ticking, and the nation waits with bated breath for a word from its leader. Will the President seize the moment and address the nation, or will the silence continue, fueling more uncertainty and unrest? Only time will tell.”

Recall that some Nigerians took to the streets on Thursday in protest against the economic hardship in the country, which is said to have been caused by the decision of President Tinubu to remove fuel subsidy and float the naira, thereby resulting in rising cost of items.

The Kano police command has announced the arrest of 269 individuals suspected of looting during the #EndBadGovernance protest in the state.

Naija News reports that Nigerians stormed major streets on Thursday to protest the economic hardship and food scarcity.

However, the supposed peaceful protest turned violent in some places, with security operatives teargassing protesters.

According to a Facebook update by the Kano police command, the suspects were involved in an attack on a supermarket in the Nassarawa Quarters.

“At approximately 10:00 am today, groups of hoodlums, under the guise of participating in the nationwide protest, launched attacks on several establishments in Kano state,” stated the police.

The police noted that these events disturbed public peace and safety, prompting swift action by the Kano State police command.

“In a swift and efficient response to these criminal activities, a total of 269 suspects responsible for destruction, looting, and instigating chaos under the guise of the nationwide hunger protest were arrested.

“These incidents have disrupted public order and safety, necessitating immediate action by the Kano state police command.

“Arson at NCC office: Multiple motor vehicles at the NCC office, Audu Bako secretariat, along Government House Kano, were set ablaze.

“The fire has since been brought under control through swift intervention.”

The police command reported the recovery of an AK-47 rifle near the Kano high court and seized a large amount of stolen goods from the suspects.

In response to the unrest, Kano Governor Abba Yusuf has imposed a 24-hour curfew to ensure the safety of the state’s residents.

Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo, has revealed that more than 30 million phone lines are at risk of disconnection due to improper linkage with a National Identification Number (NIN).

These lines are primarily associated with devices like car trackers, MiFi units, WiFi devices, and Point of Sale (POS) machines.

“The numbers are staggering. We are looking at potentially over 30 million SIM cards, including those in various digital devices, that have not been properly linked to the NIN. Many of these SIMs are in car trackers, POS machines, MiFis, WiFis, and many other devices that use SIMs to operate,” Adebayo stated during an interview with News Central, as reported on Thursday.

This situation follows recent disruptions caused by the blocking of lines not connected to their NINs.

Naija News recalls that last weekend, telecommunications companies began disconnecting lines not linked with NINs, just ahead of the Nigerian Communications Commission’s July 31, 2024 deadline.

Ever since February 2024, telecom operators have been gradually disconnecting lines, adhering to an NCC directive. At the end of 2023, the regulator instructed telcos to disconnect unlinked lines in phases, concluding on July 31, 2024.

Adebayo explained that these disconnections resulted from discrepancies between telecom operators’ records and the National Identity Management Commission’s data.

“There are cases where individuals provided their NINs, but the information did not align with our records,” he said. “These discrepancies need to be resolved at service centers for proper verification.”

Adebayo clarified that the timing of the disconnections coincided with national protests but was unrelated, as the disconnection process had started earlier.

“Unfortunately, the disconnection coincided with the planned protests, but it had nothing to do with stifling communication.

“We are guided by our social contract with subscribers and provide services on a non-discriminatory basis,” he said.

He also emphasized the importance of accurate data for building a reliable national database, urging individuals to provide truthful and consistent information during registration to prevent future issues.

“To have a reliable and equipped national database, all of us must contribute accurate information,” Adebayo urged.

“This database can only be as reliable as the information provided by the public.

“The consumer is our priority, therefore, considering the challenges the blockages have caused, the commission has directed all operators to reactivate all lines that were disconnected over the weekend… Reactivated consumers are to note that this is for a limited period to allow them to properly link their NIN to their SIM,” he added

On Thursday morning, policemen tear-gassed defiant protesters at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos.

These protesters carried placards expressing their dissatisfaction with President Bola Tinubu’s administration, marching against hunger and hardship across Nigeria.

Protesters gathered at the Lekki Tollgate during the End Bad Governance protest on August 1, 2024.

Chanting solidarity songs, the protesters decried the hunger in the country and called for swift government action. “We just want the country to be stable. People are hungry. People are dying. We are not coming to fight; we only want the government to do something,” said one female protester.

Numerous security agents, including policemen, soldiers, officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency, were present at the iconic tollgate.

They informed the mostly young demonstrators of a court order restricting their gathering to Gani Fawehinmi Park in Ojota and Peace Park in Ketu, both in Lagos mainland.

The youths who converged at the tollgate rejected the relocation to Lagos mainland and continued their demonstrations until they were dispersed by police teargas.

The nationwide protests against economic hardship began on August 1, 2024, and are scheduled to continue until August 10 across all states in the country.

In recent months, food and basic commodity prices have skyrocketed as Nigerians face one of the worst inflation rates and economic crises, exacerbated by the government’s petrol subsidy removal and forex unification policies.

Despite warnings from the police, military, and Department of State Services against Kenya-style protests, and politicians’ appeals for youths to cancel the planned rallies, the young people remain undeterred.

Nigeria’s Badminton star, Anuoluwapo Opeyori, crashed out of the 2024 Paris Olympics after losing his second consecutive match against China’s Li Shi Feng 2-0 in a Group N encounter.

Opeyori started his Olympics campaign on a sad note when he lost his first match against Switzerland’s Tobias Kuenzi 2-0 (20-22, 14-21)on Tuesday.

It was not a straightforward victory for Li Shi Feng as Opeyori gave him a tough run. The first set ended 21-17 in favour of the Chinese.

Opeyori bounced back in the second set with an impressive performance to lead 11-7 before Li Shi Feng fought back to win 21-17 to end his Olympics campaign in the first round.

He is Nigeria’s only representative in Badminton and his exit ends Nigeria’s chances of winning any medal in Badminton.

Opeyori is delighted with the opportunity to showcase his talent at the Olympics.

He said, “I am so impressed with my performance; I gave a good account of myself in the men’s singles playing against one of the best players in the world. The Olympics gave me an opportunity to get exposed properly and I am wishing myself all the best.”

Opeyori joins the table tennis quartet of Aruna Quadri, Fatimo Bello, Offiong Edem and Omotayo Olajide to crash out of the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, has lamented the destruction of a technology hub in Kano, just days before its scheduled launch.

The Digital Innovation Park, designed to support Nigeria’s technical talent accelerator program (3MTT), was reportedly set ablaze and looted during the protests on Thursday.

“Sad to learn that our Digital Innovation Park in Kano slated for launch next week to support our technical talent accelerator (3MTT) has been set ablaze and looted by protesters,” Tijani stated in a post via X on Thursday.

The incident occurred as part of wider unrest in Kano, where protesters targeted the yet-to-be-commissioned Nigeria Communication Commission Industrial Park.

Tijani highlighted the immediate impact of this destruction on planned initiatives.

“Alongside #3MTT, this building is set to host our buildathon holiday maker programme for secondary school kids starting next week,” he added.

The minister characterised the damage as a setback for the journey to deepening the workforce for technology and creating job opportunities for the youth.

“Millions of Naira down the drain,” Tijani said.

Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has clarified that his recent remarks on Nigeria’s population challenges were not aimed at any specific person or region and that he stands by his comments without apology.

Naija News reports that Fayose, an ally of President Bola Tinubu, recently suggested that polygamy and large family sizes are significant factors in Nigeria’s population crisis.

These remarks were made during an interview on Channels TV, where Fayose indicated that Tinubu’s difficulties in managing economic hardship stem from “indiscriminate” childbearing and marriage, particularly in Northern Nigeria.

In response, social activist and former Kaduna State lawmaker, Shehu Sani, condemned Fayose’s statements about marriage customs in the North.

Similarly, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dele Momodu, also criticized Fayose, urging against blame games during this critical period.

Addressing the backlash, Fayose took to his X handle to clarify his stance, stating, “No Apologies, My Comment Not Targeted At Anyone or Any Region.”

He elaborated, “I have no reasons to say derogatory things about anyone, not even the North, not the South.

“What I said was very clear.

“I said I visited a State in the North, I didn’t mention the State. And I gave an illustration that I got talking to a Gateman who said to me that he had four wives and 16 children. And I said what can the government do about such a person? What can government do about a Gateman with four wives and 16 children?

“That illustration is not about the North, it could be anyone in the Southwest, Southeast or South-South.”

Fayose emphasized, “Some people are saying I should apologize, and I want to state that I have no apology because I have not offended anyone. My point is, the nation needs to address the issue of its population, either North, South or anywhere.”

He further remarked, “It is regrettable that people like to pervert the truth and quote others out of context. Majority of those who have reacted to that interview did not even watch it, they didn’t also bother to see the video.

“Therefore, I can’t be bothered about the anger of anyone. I have no reasons to be derogatory about anyone, any region or group.”

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has declared that the #EndBadGovernance protest in Kano State is no longer peaceful.

The presidential media aide took to his account on the X platform to share some happenings in the ancient city of Kano, which informed his submission.

Onanuga said properties were getting destroyed, and some of the protesters had started looting items, including mattresses, bags of rice and other things.

He shared a video of an attack on a property during the protest in Kano, with the caption; “The place attacked is a supermarket on Hadejia Road in Kano, all in the name of protest.“

In another video of the incident, the presidential media aide wrote: “An office attacked in Kano. It is no longer a peaceful protest in the city.”

Earlier, Onanuga had also shared some pictures of protesters looting in Kano.

He wrote: “Protesters are also looting in Kano, stealing furniture, rice bags, mattresses and so on.”

In another video, Tinubu’s aide also disclosed the vandalization of the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) building in Kano State.

“Protesters go on rampage in Kano. Here is the gate house of the NCC set ablaze,” he wrote.

Six protesters have been reportedly shot dead, with many others sustaining injuries in the ongoing hardship protest in Suleja, Niger State.

Naija News learnt that the victims were killed while security operatives were struggling to dislodge a group of protesters who mounted a barricade on a section of the Abuja-Kaduna highway, trapping motorists for several hours. 

However, an uproar occurred after the arrival of the reinforcement team, which was sent to restore sanity to the area.

A resident of Hassan Dalatu Road, Suleja, identified as Yahaya Nda Isah, was reportedly hit by a stray bullet while on his bike in front of the Suleja Police ‘A’ division, where protesters had assembled.

A nephew of the deceased who spoke with Daily Trust said his uncle was on his bike without joining the ongoing protest when the bullet fired to disperse the protesters hit him on his chest, and he died on the spot.

He said, “He was my uncle. He was not even protesting. He was passing in front of the Police ‘A’ division where some people were protesting when stray Bullet hit him on his chest and he died. As I speak with you, I am in his house alongside other mourners. It’s unfortunate.”

Another victim identified as Mallam Abu also said died on the spot with three other people shot at the same scene while 2 others were shot at the Suleja Junction on Abuja-Kaduna road.

Spokesperson of the Niger State Police Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said some hoodlums also attempted to set the Tafa LGA ablaze, but security operatives dispersed them.

He said, “The miscreants attempted to set the Tafa LGA ablaze, they were dispersed by the Police and military. Kaduna road and toll gate was cleared.”