‘I still have bullet in me’: Victim of 2024 protest shooting seeks help

Two years after the #EndBadGovernance protests in Kano, victims and their families are still waiting for compensation despite repeated promises from the state government.

The protests were staged from August 1 to 10, 2024 over the cost of living crisis in different parts of the country.

The economic hardship was believed to be triggered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s twin policies of petrol subsidy removal and currency floating.

Twelve people were killed in Kano, the highest toll nationwide.

The victims were alleged to have been shot by security agents deployed to quell the protests.

Among them is Muhammad Alhassan, a resident of Daurawa in Koki, who continues to live with a bullet lodged dangerously close to his heart.

Speaking to Daily Trust on Monday, Alhassan recalled the tragic day of August 1, 2024, when police opened fire during the protests.

“We were watching the protest from our street when the police fired shots. A bullet hit my friend, Ali, in the head. He died later in hospital. We ran, but I too was shot. The bullet is still in my body,” he said.

Doctors at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) initially advised against removing the bullet, warning it could damage his central nervous system.

“They told me it was not yet the right time. Now, Alhamdulillah, I am recovering, and they say it can be removed. But I cannot afford the surgery,” Alhassan said.

Medical scans show the bullet fractured a rib and lodged near his heart and spinal cord. He is scheduled to see a cardiologist in November, but financial constraints have left him stranded.

“The government promised to support us after receiving the committee’s report on the incident. The governor’s aide on humanitarian affairs told us funds had been approved for compensation and medical treatment.

“It has been almost two months since he called us to tell us the governor has approved funds for our support, but since then, we have heard nothing. He even promised we would be paid and treated for the bullet removal, but now he no longer answers our calls.

“I am in severe pain. I cannot run, sleep well, or move properly. The bullet is near my heart. We are mostly poor, and I am begging the government to rescue us,” he said.

Alhassan is not alone. Families of other victims continue to struggle.

Faiza Haruna, elder sister to the late Fiddausi Haruna, who was allegedly shot while buying charcoal in Kurnar Asabe, said the burden of caring for Fiddausi’s two children has fallen on their ageing mother.

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf later set up the Justice Lawal Wada Commission of Enquiry, which submitted its report in January 2025.

The panel recommended compensation and prosecutions. But nearly two years later, victims said nothing has been implemented.

Abdulkadir A. Balarabe, Special Adviser on Humanitarian Affairs to the governor, admitted delays but insisted support would come.

“You know how government matters are. There are thousands of such issues before them. The governor has given us approval to proceed, but we want to handle it thoroughly. Very soon, God willing, they will hear from us,” he said.