Gov Zulum claims 95% of Borno #EndBadGovernance protesters are underage

The Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, lamented on Saturday that 95 percent of the youths that participated in Thursday’s violent protests in the state were children less than 14 years old.

Zulum stated this in a broadcast to the people of Borno where he also lifted the 24-hour curfew imposed on the state.

The governor on Thursday imposed the curfew after the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protest in the state turned violent.

He said: “Over 95 percent of those who participated in the so-called Thursday protests were children under 14 years. Most of them do not know why they are protesting.

“A six-year-old child carrying a placard is amazing. He must have been directed by someone. Most of those children are not from Borno.

“While we are not discouraging the Almajiri education, we must however have their teachers or guardians looking after them.”

READ ALSO: #EndBadGovernance protesters threaten to take agitations to Lagos streets

Zulum also decried a situation where thousands of children were living in Maiduguri in the name of Almajiri without care from anyone.

“In what could have been a major disaster, attempts were made by the hoodlums on several occasions to attack the Maiduguri Emergency Power Gas Plant, however, it was averted by our gallant security forces.

“Violence has no place in our society and I implore citizens to reject any call to arms or act of aggression.

“As we lift the curfew on Saturday, any person that engages in looting and violent activities will be dealt with accordingly.

“We have distributed rounds of food and non-food items palliatives within Maiduguri and other LGAs, scaled up our support to farmers through sales of fertiliser, and provided seeds and farm inputs to enhance food production.

“We want to also invest in irrigation agriculture and livestock development,” he added.

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