Police arrest 60 protesters in Bauchi

From Ahmad Muhammad, Bauchi

Bauchi State Police Command have revealed that it arrested 60 protesters when the protest against bad governance turned violent on the first day of the ongoing 10-day nationwide protest.
The Commissioner of Police, Auwal Musa Mohammed disclosed this in Bauchi, when he gave an update on the protest in the state.
Mohammed said that the protesters were arrested following their violent behaviour while the protest was ongoing.
He explained that the arrests were made due to breaches of public order and unlawful assembly by the protesters who did not get Police permission before embarking on the exercise.
According to him, more than 50 protesters, including women were arrested by the Bauchi State Police Command, following the ‘End Bad Governance Protest’ in the state capital.
“Fifty-two of them among the protesters were arrested, they were arrested for being violent and very unruly.
“They tried to disturb the public peace not based on our arrangement with them”, he said.
However, the commissioner said one of his Police officers was injured as the protesters became unruly, engaging in phone theft and property destruction throughout the metropolis.
He decried that the protesters who were over 3,000, regrouped after they were dispersed and tried to force their way to the Government House.
He said:“They were stoning our policemen. They have injured some of our policemen so we had to act fast.
“The governor would have addressed them if they were not unruly.
“We acted professionally and we did not kill anybody. The protesters used women and children as shields but we were able to overcome and subdue them.”
He therefore assured that the Command will do everything possible to ensure that there was no breakdown of law and order when the protest will last appealing for the people to behave themselves in an orderly manner.