New Telegraph

Giving helping hands to victims of violence

After the grief and gloom that pervaded the atmosphere, there seems to be a ray of hope for victims of the #EndSARS violence within the Federal capital Territory (FCT). CALEB ONWE reports

Like many other major cities across the country, Abuja was badly hit by the violence that trailed the #EndSARS protests, resulting in killings and wanton destruction of both private and public properties.

In Apo District of Abuja, some hoodlums who allegedly attempted to hijack the protest but were vehemently resisted by the genuine protesters, went berserk and set ablaze shops, several vehicles and houses.

Traders at the Apo Mechanic Village and Spare Parts Market, have been counting their losses after the violence. Tricycle riders and petty traders around the place were also not left out of the unfortunate destruction that was visited on them.

The incident has further stressed the economic base and livelihood of the people. Chairman of Apo Traders Association, Chimezie Ifeh, said traders and other victims of the unwarranted violence were in dire need of assistance because their economic backbone was broken by the losses they have suffered in the crisis. Ifeh lamented that since the violence, traders have had no peace because many of them no longer retire home after the day’s business activities.

They now keep an all night’s vigil to ward of the hoodlums and prevent further destruction of their properties. While he did not give the exact number of vehicles and properties razed by the rampaging hoodlums, he disclosed that properties worth over N200 million were destroyed. Inside Abuja’s check also revealed that apart from the destruction at the Apo Mechanic Village and the burning of houses at Waru community, some public facilities were also destroyed at Dutse village, where the hoodlums also clashed with the protesters.

A Customary Court building, a Police Station and heavy duty vehicles belonging to a construction company and the Abuja Mass Transit were among the properties burnt down in Dutse. While normalcy appear to have returned to the troubled areas, many residents are still struggling to overcome the trauma of the violence.

Those whose business activities were abruptly disrupted have called on both government and good spirited individuals and organisations to help them recover from the sad incident. Ibrahim Hassan, a bricklayer at Waru, may not have lost a shop or any vehicle but he was rendered homeless by the violence. Hassan said that the shanty where he and his colleagues used to live and his working tools were completely destroyed in the inferno. He appealed for urgent assistance to get him and his displaced friends back on their feet with a sense of security.

COMPENSATION FOR VICTIMS

After days of gloom for the victims, who were bewildered by the level of destruction, the Federal Capital Territory Administration, has announced a relief package for them. Minister of the FCT, Mallam Muhammad Bello, announced the package when he visited the troubled spots alongside other officials of the administration, top security chiefs as well as traditional and religious leaders.

The tour took them to Apo, Waru and Dutse communities, where the minister pledged to compensate the victims of the crisis. While he expressed dismay over the level of destruction, he also called on residents to eschew further violence. Bello, who disclosed that a committee was already working to identify the victims and compensate them, also noted that while the agitation of the #ENDSARS protesters were genuine, the hijacking of the peaceful protest by hoodlums, which triggered the violence was condemnable. He stressed that the wanton killings and destruction of properties within the nation’s capital cannot be condoned anymore.

He said: “Already, a team has been setup. Your members will be invited to be part of it, so that we can know what was destroyed and how they can be replaced. “Abuja is our city and we all came here to look for food including, yours sincerely, the minister.

So, under no circumstances should we allow people from somewhere to come and disturb us because the moment you destroy anything, it would be difficult to replace it.” Minister of State for the FCT, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, who was on the entourage that visited the hotspots, almost broke down emotionally, on seeing the level of destruction done in these places.

In an emotion-laden voice, Aliyu apologized on behalf of the administration to those who lost their loved ones or properties to the unfortunate incident. “We appreciate you as a government and as a people with blood in our body. We feel and we know the pains of losing property, and I know the Honourable Minister spoke loud and clear.

“There is a committee already looking into it to assess the level of damage and then, compensation will be made clear. I appeal to you, the Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Nupe, Ebira and every other tribe, we are one Nigeria in Abuja,” she said. Stakeholders believe that the hope of the victims in the government would be revived and restored, if the pledged compensation by the administration is vigorously pursued and delivered promptly.

FCT palliative items are safe, secured – Minister

FCT Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, has assured residents of the territory that palliative items in various warehouses across the territory are safe and secured, as security agents have been deployed to man strategic areas. Aliyu stated this in a statement issued by her Special Assistant on Media, Mr Austine Elemue, on Saturday in Abuja. In the past few months, Aliyu said the FCT Administration had distributed all items procured and those donated to the Area Councils, Community Associations, Non-governmental organizations (NGOs),“Civil society organizations (CSOs) and Professional bodies. Aliyu stressed, however, that the administration has continued to receive more donations that are being distributed on a continuous basis and transparent manner.

She affirmed that details of such distributions are in the public domain, reaching more than a million households and individuals across the territory. The minister stated that the administration ensured that the CSOs and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) participated in the distribution exercise to ensure transparency. Aliyu revealed that warehouses are supposed to stock supplies for emergency response, including the recurrence of COVID-19 emergency. She warned that unsuspecting members of the public should therefore not be lured into criminality under the guise that there are ‘hoarded’ palliative food items in the territory.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the police, in the early hours of Saturday, Oct. 24, foiled an attempt by some youths to raid the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s palliatives warehouse at the Centre for Arts and culture building, located at Area 10, in Garki, Abuja. “Sir, I must painfully say that we have lost not less than N200 million worth of cars and properties to the hoodlums who came from nowhere to attack us.

“We never participated in the ENdSARS protests; we have been here for a very long time. We are peaceful people and we will remain so. “We are using this opportunity to plead with the FCT administration to give us a better place to build our mechanic village so that we can also fence it appropriately to avoid disasters like this,’’ Chimeze-Ife said

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