Kaduna (Nigeria) – Police in Kaduna, northern Nigeria Monday used live bullets and tear gas to disperse youths protesting the appointment of Hadiza Yahuza as caretaker chairman of Chikun Local Government Area of the State.
The youth on Thursday protested to the state House of Assembly against her appointment and requested that an indigene of the area be appointed instead. But the Assembly on Friday screened and cleared Yahuza for the post.
Monday, the set day for the swearing in of the caretaker chairmen by Governor Nasir El-Rufai, the youth blocked all major roads leading to Chikun local government headquarters in protest of the appointment.
The action led to high traffic of vehicular and human movement, blocking many access roads.
Heavily armed policemen were drafted to the area, who used tear gas and live bullets to disperse the angry youths.
An eyewitness Bulus Solomon told journalists “Gbagyi youths came out to protest peacefully the appointment a non indigene of the local government, only for 20 vehicles of operation Yaki to storm the place and start shooting.
“They shot five people who are presently receiving treatment at Sabon Tasha General hospital and about six vehicles were destroyed by the security men who said they had orders from above,” he said.
Yahuza it was a former staff of Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC). She retired two months ago.
