In spite of heavy security backing, shots were fired on Wednesday morning by an Operation Yaki van escorting high profile prisoners from a court hearing to the Kaduna Convict Prison, who were obstructed by thousands of angry Kaduna women were on a procession to protest the non approval of a $350 million loan requested by the state government
The women, with most of them having babies strapped to their backs, while on the procession along Independence Way under the blazing sun, occupied the road and in a bid to clear a portion of the road, shots were fired.
Fielding questions from newsmen who tracked them up to the entrance of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, State Women Leader of international Women and Youth Development Revival, organisers of the protest, Saratu Abdulazeez explained that it was targeted at expressing displeasure on the delays in approving of the loan.
She said that they are not accusing the Senator Representing Kaduna Central of preventing the approval of the lian, but are only appealing to him to fast track its approval.
“We are here because we want our leader to assist our government in getting money needed to develop the state. We are not accusing Senator Shehu Sani for frustrating the loan request. We voted for him, we took him to Abuja.
” We are only pleading with him that he should listen to us, not accusing him,” she stressed.
Also explaining why they embarked on the peaceful protest, Kaduna Central Women leader of the group, Amina Ali said that the NGO which has been in existence for over two years are begging that the loan is approved to ensure a better future for them and the generation yet unborn.
The protesting women, under the aegis of international Women and Youth Development Revival had commenced the procession from the Murtala Mohammed Square at about 11am.
Other stop overs were at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ)Kaduna Council Secretariat, the All Progressives Congress (APC) North West Secretariat before reaching the final point, the Kaduna State House of Assembly where they delivered a letter to the Speaker, expressing their displeasure over the non approval of the lian request.
