Borno, Yobe Count  Cost: N477 Million Lost, 32 Man-Hours Wasted in Youth Protests

Borno, Yobe Count  Cost: N477 Million Lost, 32 Man-Hours Wasted in Youth Protests

By  Tada Juthan, Maiduguri

Over N477 million and 32 man-hours were lost during the two-day national protests of youths in the major cities and towns of Borno and Yobe states.

The public properties, including buses, police patrol, and utility vehicles were torched by the protesting youths in Maiduguri metropolis, Potiskum. Nguru, and Gashua, a border community with Niger Republic.
According to the authority of Maiduguri Monday Market (MMM), the 32 man-hours were also wastedt in the two-day protests, when the two markets were closed in Maiduguri and Damaturu, the Yobe state capital.
In Maiduguri metropolis and the Jere Local Government Area, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse was vandalized by the rampaging protesters and looted various food items and other humanitarian facilities valued at N7.5 million.
Besides the warehouse, the youths proceeded along Baga road to vandalize the UNHCR facility that contained skills acquisition tools, estimated at N15 million.
The Mechanical village on Damboa road, including the Borno state Mechanical Workshop along Baga road, were also vandalized and the youths looted the skills acquisition equipment valued at N15 million.
A community leader of the affected areas, Mustapha Fannami, told The Guardian that the under-aged children smashed the glasses of vehicles plying the roads.
He said during the two-day protests, some of the youths destroyed the windshields of private and commercial vehicles.
According to him, the affected motorist could bear the total costs of fixing the glasses at no less than N8.5 million.
Besides the costs of glasses and workmanship, the motorists also have to lose eight manhours without going to work, until the vehicle glasses are fix by the mechanics.
Other public property lost in the protest, included three police patrol and utility vehicles estimated at N31 million.
Besides the loss of patrol vehicles, the security of people’s lives and property, are also at risk of losing existing property to thieves in the metropolis.
In Yobe state, the youths torched seven buses of the Potiskum Local Government Council.
An eyewitness, Malam Isa Yakubu (not real name) said that the set ablaze buses had been generating revenues to the council.
He noted that it will be difficult to replaced the torched buses that were procured by the council at N15 million each.
Other property destroyed in Potiskum, which is currently under a 6:00pm to 6:00am daily curfew included streetlights and the traffic warden sheds along Kano Road.
In Nguru, 230km west of Damaturu, the protesters attacked and vandalized a pharmaceutical store belonging to Alhikma and the local council storage facility.
The youths also vandalized and looted the materials and other facilities of the local government.
Even the market wares of traders in Nguru, were not spared by the rampaging youths, as they loot some of the goods and other market wares, estimated at N35 million.
Other property destroyed in Nguru, include the local council information van and smashing the glasses of former council chairman’s car, Modu Kachalla.
The ICT facility complex of Sen. Ahmed Lawan, was also vandalized and removed all the billboards at roundabouts and streets of Nguru
.
Isa noted that to replace all the destroyed property in Nguru township, may cost the local council and individuals over N350 million.
Spokesman of the Yobe Police Command, ASP Dungus Abdulkarim said that 51 suspects were arrested, while 35 of them are in the Potiskum prison custody.
He, however, noted that the under-aged children are bailable for release under detention.