Borno protest

About 1,000 people gathered to in Maiduguri, Borno State,
on Saturday to protest over alleged abandonment by the
federal and state governments.
Reportedly, the protesters were largely made up of survivors
of Boko Haram attacks on Gwoza, and families of Gwoza
residents who are still trapped in the local government.
According to Premium Times, scores of soldiers and armed
police officers tried to prevent the protesters from
embarking on their rally.
One of the protesters, a young man who is about 26 years
old, was shot allegedly by a police officer, and is at present
in critical condition at the University of Maiduguri Teaching
Hospital.
Despite the presence and actions of the security officials, the
protesters got to the government house in Maiduguri.
The protesters were allowed to go into the deputy
governor’s office, where they insisted on being addressed by
the state governor, Kashim Shettima.
While the protesters waited for the governor, his deputy,
Zannah Mustapha, arrived to address the angry residents.
However, the protesters said they would only listen to the
governor.
“We voted for the governor and not his deputy,” many of the
protesters said in Hausa language.
Some of the protesters yelled while lamenting their
situation: “They’ve burned down the entire Gwoza; emir’s
palace, local government secretariat, police station. Most
people are on top of the Mandara mountains of Gwoza.
They are starving.”
After Boko Haram attack on Gwoza, residents were forced
to go on top of the mountain, which borders Nigeria and
Cameroon. The insurgent group later claimed the town for
itself and mounted its flag.
On Thursday, the Nigerian military said that it has
commenced operations to reclaim Gwoza and other
communities claimed by the insurgents.
One of the protesters, who identified himself as Liman
Ngoshe, addressed journalist, speaking in Hausa: “They are
forced to soak rain water with their clothes and squeeze
them for drinking after the rain stops,” he said.
He said those trapped had been surrounded at the foot of
the mountains by Boko Haram gunmen, while corpses of
those killed while trying to climb the mountain still littered
the floor of the mountains.