Women and youths in Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro local government areas of Bauchi State on Thursday, defied the huge presence of combined security operatives and trooped out to peacefully protest against the planned 21st memorial anniversary of the late leader and crusader of the Sayawa nation, Baba Peter Gonto.
Unconfirmed reports had it that three people were injured during the protest.
The protesters chanted songs against the holding of the event scheduled for today.
Most of the protesters were seen carrying placards with different inscriptions that are demonstrative of their stand against the programme, which they believed would divide them instead of uniting them.
An old woman who spoke during the protest accused security personnel of standing on their way, declaring that it is their fundamental rights to hold a peaceful protest to voice out their grievances.
The woman, who spoke in Hausa, said that they had had enough of oppression by powerful people which had made the area to remain underdeveloped, stressing that it was time to focus attention to the area.
The old woman, leading others, said that security operatives stationed in the area over the years had continued to molest them, particularly their children, calling for the removal of the personnel from the area.
As of the time of filing this report, there was tension in the area.
The state police command has deployed personnel to the area just as men of the Operation Safe Haven stationed in the area have joined the security forces.
The Bauchi State police command refused to comment on the development as the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Wakili Ahmed, did not pick the calls put across to his mobile phone.
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, had raised the alarm of security threat in the area, thereby advising security agencies in the state to, as a matter of urgency, join the organisers of the memorial anniversary to put it on hold.
There have been accusations and counter- accusations over the development since the issue was made public two weeks ago, prompting the state police command to deploy its personnel in the area to maintain law and order.
Efforts to get confirmation whether the programme will hold as scheduled today or not were unsuccessful as none of the organisers was ready to make comments when contacted.
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