Keyamo likens violent protest to giving licence to armed robbers

Keyamo said some protesters were already inclined to commit crimes, adding that the protest was an opportunity for them to strike.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has likened the looting and destruction of properties in the ongoing hunger protests to giving licences to armed robbers to operate.

Keyamo said this in reaction to the nationwide demonstration which has turned violent in some parts of the country.

In Kano, protesters stormed a yet-to-be-commissioned facility belonging to the Nigeria Communication Commission and looted it dry.

According to Bosun Tijani, the facility was set later set ablaze after protesting youths some of who are teenagers made away with new furniture and desktops the building is equipped with.

In Kaduna, a police officer has been killed as protesters attacked buildings belonging to the state government.

The violence has also spread to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, as protesters set the Nyanya Police Station on fire.

Reacting to the violent incidents, Keyamo said some protesters were already inclined to commit crimes, adding that the protest was an opportunity for them to strike.

“What has simply happened is that those who were already inclined to robbery or are already armed robbers at night have been given the license and opportunity to commit their crime in broad daylight under the guise of a ‘legitimate’ protest. Hence the caution that, though peaceful protests are legitimate, you don’t call for a protest when you don’t have the capacity to determine its trajectory,” he said.

Meanwhile, mobile policemen deployed at the Admiralty Lekki Phase 1 Toll Gate in Lagos State have restored normalcy to the area following an attempted eruption of violent protest.