The Governor of Nasarawa, Abdullahi Sule, says a majority of those who participated in the #EndBadGovernance protest in his state were almajiris who had no idea why the protest was being held.
Speaking in an interview with Channels Television on Thursday, August 8, Governor Sule said the trajectory of the protests in the north is cause for introspection. The protest was marred by looting and vandalism with some of the protesters brandishing the Russian flag.
Reacting to the violence and looting that characterised the protest, the Northern leaders must address education and childbirth in the region, adding that the zone is a ticking time bomb.
“During this last protest that we had in Lafia, the majority of those that came out on the streets were the almajiris. Some of them are 5, 7, and 9 years old. A lot of them didn’t even understand the meaning of the protest. When I spoke with them later, they didn’t even know what they were protesting against.
We must sit down. At one point in 2020, we sat down as governors and took the decision about the almajiris. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out well. They went back to square one. Some of the religious leaders criticised it.
But from what happened now, I don’t believe anybody will continue to criticise actions that will be taken in order to move forward. Otherwise, it’s a ticking time bomb. It will come and consume everyone of us.”