Buhari’s Kano visit: Protesting youths barricade roads, stone helicopter

On Monday, during President Muhammadu Buhari’s official visit to Kano State, some irate youths threw rocks at the president’s advance convoy.

As the President travelled to the state to dedicate eight development projects, security had been stepped up throughout the Kano metropolis.

The President flew by helicopter to the palace of the Emir of Kano, Aminu Bayero, after landing at the Aminu Kano International airport in the morning.

The President was scheduled to launch Galaxy Backbone Limited’s project on Ahmadu Bello Way, but despite the increased security, irate youths reportedly attacked Buhari’s convoy and helicopter as it flew above them while brandishing sticks and stones of various sizes.

Social media videos captured the moment the enraged youths hurled rocks at the helicopter they thought was carrying the President.

In one video, people were seen fighting angrily with some unidentified security personnel as a convoy passed through their area.

In another video, a road covered in stones was seen as teargas canisters were fired to disperse the enraged crowd.

It was observed as the protesting youths shouted “ba ma yi” (down with you) and ran helter-skelter to avoid being caught by heavily armed security operatives who provided security for the President and his convoy.

Besides Hotoro and a few other projects that were inaugurated, the President’s chopper was parked at the Emir’s palace, from where he proceeded to Kumbotso Local Government to inaugurate the 10 megawatts solar power projects.

However, the President’s trip to Kumbotso did not record any attack by any mob, as he was sandwiched by security operatives, who comprised heavily armed soldiers aboard motorised Toyota Hilux and was also supported by armed mobile police special forces.

The Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, had recently in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Abba Anwar, asked Buhari to postpone his planned trip to inaugurate some projects in the state.

Ganduje said in the statement that the naira redesign and January 31 deadline for old notes had brought hardship on residents of the state, adding that the development made people angry.

“Deeply concerned with the hardship caused by the limited time given for halting the use of old naira notes by the Central Bank of Nigeria, and for security reasons, Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje reveals that the state resolved and wrote to the presidency that the visit of the president to commission some projects to be postponed,” the statement said in part.

However, Ganduje, while speaking to journalists after a meeting with Buhari in Katsina, expressed readiness to receive the president to commission the projects in the state.

“We are very much ready to receive him and we have a lot for him to commission, including Federal Government projects and state government projects. They are state-of-the-art projects,” Ganduje said.

Prior to the Ganduje episode, angry youths had attacked government officials when the President visited his home state in Katsina to inaugurate some projects on Thursday.

The youths were said to have staged the protest to express their anger against the hardship being experienced in the country.

The situation reportedly degenerated when the youths started throwing stones, causing a commotion that created tension in the area