Kano: Police Ask Parents, Guardians, To Voluntarily Return Looted Items By Their Wards

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Kano State Police Command has called on parents ,guardians and law abiding individuals who are in the know of looted items by their wards to return same to appropriate authorities.

This is even as the Minister for Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, revealed that no fewer than 150 computer sets were carted away by hoodlums on day one of the #EndBadGovernance protest from its ICT building in Kano.

The Police authorities also disclosed that a total of 326 suspects have been arrested in connection with the massive looting that trailed the August 1 nationwide protest in the commercial city.

Speaking on Friday, August 2, 2024, while parading the arrested suspects, spokesperson for the Command, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, SP, said the Police authorities have also directed the Anti-Cyber Crime Unit to launch an investigation with a view to prosecuting the masterminds of the circulation of a misleading, unverified and false video images of 2011, purporting same to be 2024.

He said the circulation of the fake images is a calculated attempt by enemies of the State to portray the Service in bad light .

“In the aftermath of the 1st August, 2024 nationwide protest, a total of 326 suspects were arrested with a large quantity of exhibits recovered.

“All the suspects will be charged to Court for prosecution. The Command wishes to address and clarify the recent deliberate false and mischievous news circulating on social media platforms concerning the photos of suspects and exhibits involved in the destruction and looting of public and private properties under the guise of the planned #EndBadGovernance nationwide protest .

“Contrary to the misleading ,unverified, social media reports, some of the  images were posted sometime in 2011 and are false and baseless.

“These despicable acts are calculated attempts by enemies of peace to tarnish the reputable image of the Nigerian Police.

“Interestingly, the suspects in the alleged looting and vandalization who were arrested and paraded by the Police Command on 01/08/2024 are here before the press today, 02/08/2024,for clarity.

“On this note, the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Police Command CP, Salman Dogo Garba, directed the Anti-Cyber Crime Unit of the Command to launch an investigation with a view to arresting and prosecuting the perpetrators of this ungodly act capable of instigating the public against the police.

“The CP further warns against peddling fake news and hate speech which are capable of inciting violence and affecting the over all security situation in the state.

“In addition, the CP calls on parents ,guardians and law abiding people of the state who saw their wards with looted properties to voluntarily return same to the nearest police station” the Kano police spokesman stated.

Dr Tijani, while speaking on Channels Television programme, lamented that the loss from the NCC ICT building vandalization runs into several millions of Naira,if not billions of Naira.

He, however, informed that a private outfit based in Kano has offered to rehabilitate the facility.

“This property is one of the properties that the last administration actually worked on  but it couldn’t deliver it.

“A number of things were incomplete .It was only just two months ago that the last set of equipment was put in place. And we just agreed two weeks ago to launch the facility next week”