Despite a curfew imposed by Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, hundreds of youths took to the streets in various parts of Kano City.
pathwaynews reports that the protesters marched through significant areas such as the Gadan Lado Roundabout near Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in the Gyadi Gyadi area and along Hadejia Road in Nassarawa Local Government. Witnesses noted that the demonstrators, aged between 20 and 30, were seen waving and celebrating the Russian flag during the protest.
One observer shared with Daily Sun that the protesters chanted in Hausa, “We are not here to break into people’s shops or destroy public facilities. All we want is freedom.” The protestors managed to march without disrupting traffic, with security vans following them at a slow pace but not intervening.
The display of the Russian flag, first noted on Saturday in Kurna, has sparked concerns among residents. Many worry that this element of the protest deviates from the original issues of hunger and economic hardship that prompted the demonstrations.
Major markets in Kano, including Abubakar, Rimi, and Singer Markets, have remained closed since the protest began on Thursday, with security personnel, including soldiers, stationed to protect them.
Governor Yusuf initially imposed a 24-hour curfew on Thursday but revised it on Sunday to a period from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. In response to the use of the Russian flag in protests, Kano State Government spokesperson Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa clarified that those carrying the flag are not affiliated with the government. He emphasized that genuine protesters have submitted their grievances to the state government for further action.
Additionally, the state government has established a probe panel to investigate the violence, killings, and looting that occurred during the protests. The committee will seek to uncover the root causes of the violence and identify those responsible.
