By Sakariyah Sodiq
On Friday, August 2, 2023, the committee of marketers and shop owners of Haji-Alima market in Sokoto temporarily shut down all business activities and deployed security personnel at every entrance to protect their properties.
Haji-Alima Sabon Kasua, located behind Zak Petroleum station along Abdullahi Fodio road, took these measures in response to ongoing nationwide protests in Nigeria. Muhammad Aminu, one of the deployed security personnel, explained, “We are here on the call of the committee overseeing the affairs of this market to safeguard their properties from thieves and shop-burglars who are operating under the disguise of the ongoing nationwide protest in Nigeria.”
Reports indicate that hoodlums have hijacked protests in several states, including Kano, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Yobe, Gombe, and Katsina.
These miscreants are using the protests as a cover to loot shops, offices, and vandalize public and private properties, diverging from the protests’ original objectives.
In response to the escalating violence, several states such as Katsina, Kano, Yobe, Borno, Nasarawa, and Jigawa have imposed curfews to prevent further riots.
However, the commander of the security parastatal, Ibrahim Maikoli, identified the security personnel as officers of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria.
He said, “We are entrusted with the safety of shops and other properties of business owners in the market until the situation in the country improves.”
