Aftermath of #EndBadGovernance Protests: How Businesses in Kano, Suffered Devastating Losses

One week after hoodlums hijacked the #EndBadGovernance protest in Kano State, turning it into a spree of looting and vandalism, affected business owners are tallying their losses.

Among the victims was a food store established as a charity by Mariya Dantata, mother of Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote. The store, located in Sarari, Dala Local Government Area, was looted by armed hoodlums. “I saw the looters dismantle a surveillance camera opposite the food store,” recounted resident Kanzillahi Nasiru. “They met the gate open and started looting sugar and flour. Other sets of looters later came and started dragging bags of maize and millet.”

The protest, which began on August 1 across Nigeria, initially aimed to demand a reduction in the size and cost of governance, lower prices of food, petrol, housing, and electricity, reduced interest rates, and improved security. However, in many northern cities, the protests were overtaken by criminal elements.

In Kano, government and private stores, shopping centers, a yet-to-be-commissioned Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) facility, and the headquarters of the state’s High Court were among the places ransacked. Abdulsalam Muhammad, a resident of Sarari, said, “When I heard a noise outside, I came out and saw people in clusters lamenting that some aliens had looted the Hajiya Mariya charity food store. We watched helplessly as the armed looters left with stolen items before the arrival of the police.”

Muhammad expressed deep sadness over the looting, noting that Mrs. Dantata had been providing for the less privileged for over three decades. “The looted food store is for the destitute. She is the only philanthropist in Kano whose gesture has reached homes, feeding the needy with cooked food every day, yet she was not spared,” he said.

Other businesses also suffered significant losses. Muhammad Sani, an official of Barakat Stores, estimated their losses at N5 billion, with about 300 workers losing their jobs as a result. “The hoodlums overpowered the security officials and looted one of our stores at Lodge Road, opposite the Government House in Kano,” Sani explained. “They looted 1,000 cartons of vegetable oil, which we had not even paid for. Our newly acquired distribution van, bought at N15 million, was also razed.”

Sani commended security agents who managed to recover some of the looted items, including flour, noodles, and oil.

In the Gandun Albasa area of Kano, a charity school established by Shehu Sagagi, the chief of staff to Governor Abba Yusuf, was also looted. The school, dedicated to the recitation of the Qur’an and serving about 120 students, mostly orphans and underprivileged children, was ransacked by hoodlums who stole food supplies.

Sagagi, speaking on a radio program, Rigar Kaya, said the looters had spread false rumors that he was hoarding rice meant for distribution to the most vulnerable in the society. “I am a well-known farmer and feed the students from my farm produce,” Sagagi explained. “The office of the Secretary to the State Government and other persons also donated food to the school. But some people, for political reasons, portrayed it as if it were a warehouse.”

Despite the looting, Sagagi vowed not to close the school. “These children have a right to be fed and are given breakfast and lunch daily,” he said. “This school predated this administration. I have been feeding them, but people are always looking for the negative and spreading falsehood.”

The looting spree also targeted the headquarters of the State High Court, where rioters stole records, guns, and other items kept as exhibits in ongoing cases. A senior court official, who spoke anonymously, said, “Official and private vehicles parked at the premises of the State High Court were set afire or vandalized by the protesters. Offices in the state high court headquarters were also vandalized.” The official added, “Some of the burned vehicles parked at the court premises are exhibits in an ongoing case.”