The Emir of Kano, Mallam Muhammadu Sanusi II, has denounced the destruction and looting of public and private property during the #EndBadGovernance protests in Kano on Thursday.
He called on residents not to buy stolen goods and to report such activities to the authorities.
At a press conference on Friday, Sanusi expressed regret that Kano was the hardest hit during the protest, which was taken over by criminals.
He detailed the damage to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Digital Industrial Park, the Kano State Print Press, and other public facilities, resulting in the loss of equipment worth billions of naira.
Sanusi lamented the setback caused by the violence, noting it harmed Kano’s economy and development. He urged people to stay resilient and avoid being used for destruction, expressing hope that Kano would overcome these challenges.
“Today is a sad day for Kano as we reflect on yesterday’s events. The violence scholars and leaders warned against occurred, with miscreants hijacking peaceful demonstrations, causing mayhem, loss of lives, destruction of property, and numerous injuries.
“As discussed during the stakeholders’ meeting, violence in Kano only harms Kano and innocent people. The young people who died are our children, and the property destroyed belongs to the people of Kano.
“We have set ourselves back. The printing press that was burned will need to be rebuilt, and new machines will need to be purchased. These funds could have been used for youth empowerment, poverty alleviation, education, healthcare, and nutrition, addressing the very issues we are protesting against.
“The Digital Centre of Excellence built by the NCC aimed to educate our youth, provide digital training, and prepare them for examinations. I had spoken to the minister, who was scheduled to visit next week to commission this center with the Governor. We have vandalized and destroyed the computers, wasting hundreds of millions of naira meant for human capital investment,” Sanusi said.
