A fatal shooting by a local vigilante on Saturday night sparked a violent protest in Minna, Niger State, yesterday, leaving three people dead, several others injured, shops reportedly looted and the busy Minna-Bida highway temporarily shut down.

The violence erupted in Kpakungu, a suburb of the state capital, after youths took to the streets to protest the killing of one Aliyu, who was allegedly shot dead by a member of a local vigilance group during an attempt to arrest suspected miscreants in the area.

What began as a protest over Aliyu’s death quickly escalated as more than 100 youths blocked the Minna-Bida highway, disrupting traffic and forcing commercial activities in the area to a standstill.

Early-morning worshippers and commuters were reportedly stranded, while residents scampered for safety as the unrest spread. The protesters later moved towards Gbeganu, another part of the metropolis, where residents were attacked and shops allegedly looted.

By the time security operatives brought the situation under control, two more persons had reportedly been killed, while several others sustained injuries. The Niger State Police Command confirmed that the crisis began around 10:30pm on Saturday when vigilantes mobilised to Kpakungu following reports of violent activities by some youths.

Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said the vigilantes were attempting to arrest some suspected miscreants when one of their members shot Aliyu dead.

2026, at about 10.30pm, a report received indicated that a group of vigilante men mobilised to Kpakungu area to arrest some miscreants and in the process, one of the vigilante members shot one Aliyu dead, which led to some protests within the area,” he said.

Abiodun said police patrol teams were immediately deployed to the area and succeeded in restoring normalcy, while efforts commenced to arrest the vigilante member suspected of killing Aliyu. The respite was, however, short-lived as the youths regrouped in the early hours of Sunday and blocked the Minna-Bida highway to protest the killing.

“They also moved to Gbeganu area and attacked residents in the area. In the course of the attack, it was reported that two persons lost their lives,” the police spokesman said.

According to him, police tactical teams were subsequently deployed to the affected areas to contain the violence.

“The rioters were dispersed and the road was cleared for free flow of traffic,” Abiodun said.

The latest violence occurred less than three weeks after the death of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna triggered widespread outrage and protests.

The circumstances surrounding the miners’ deaths remain under investigation. (The Sun)