(Desmond Mgboh, KANO)
Thousands of Igbo traders and businessmen in Kano State, Wednesday, staged a demonstration to express their anger and grief over a spate of killings of their colleagues and relatives in the state in recent times.
Those who were killed include the Late Mr. Tochukwu Augustine Ilo, killed by the operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad a week ago, and the Late Mrs. Bridget Agbaheme, who was hacked to death by Islamic extremists who had accused him of blasphemy a few weeks ago.
The protest, which was held amid a tight security by the police, commenced with the closure of thousands of shops owned by Igbo traders in the different markets of the state and in the whole of the metropolis as early as 6 00am.
Daily Sun gathered that all Igbo-owned shops were closed to business at the popular Abubakar Rimi Market, the Iron and Steel Market in Kofar Ruwa, Kofar Wambai Market, including shops and small businesses that line the streets of Sabon- Garri metro area, resulting in huge difficulties in accessing a number of items in these markets.
At Rumfa Primary School, Enugu Road, Sabon Garri , Kano where the mourners assembled for the mourning, over 5000 Igbo traders and business men showed up in solidarity protest.
The mourners paid tribute to the deceased, praying for an end to the killings of Igbo in the state. Igbo youth among them sang round the field of the school carrying placards with inscriptions that read in English, Igbo and Hausa : “Stop the killings of Igbo in Kano” and “We are peaceful people.”
The Chairman of the Sabon-Garri Market Igbo Traders Association, who addressed the press, restated his condemnation of the brutal murder of his member, saying he was a good man who was killed in bad taste.
He said that they were gathered to mourn his demise while adding that they will do all that was within their powers to ensure that his death was not in vain.
He tasked the police authorities to quickly bring the culprits to book even as he asked then government to take definite steps to end to the random killing of Igbo people in the state.
He prayed for the soul of the deceased while begging God to grant the affected families the fortitude to bear the loss.
Eze Ndigbo Kano, Chief Boniface Ibekwe, who made a brief appearance at the event, disclosed the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi 11 had waded into the issue, assuring the traders of the determination of the monarch to ensure that justice was done.
He condemned the killer of the young man, saying it was painful to every Igbo man in the state
This is how it first started in 1948, then in July 1966, and the mother of it all in October 1966. Since then it has been unabated by people that think they have the monopoly of killing. This is a clear indication that the oneness and unity of Nigeria are mere pretences. Nigerians should listen to the voices of reasoning and restructure this country so that we can have a more stable nation and economy. If the political class and elites remain adamant about restructuring Nigeria a tsunami of social revolution not a sectional one will cause a chain of reaction that will sweep this country away to the annals of history. If government fails to provide the needed justice then individuals can seek the kind of justice they want.