For Rabiu Fillo Gama, August 2, 2024, was supposed to be another ordinary day. Instead, it became the beginning of a painful struggle that has lasted for two years.
Gama, now 25, was among the young Nigerians who did not take part in the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests against worsening economic hardship, rising food prices and the removal of the petrol subsidy. But his life took a tragic turn.
In Kano, where the protests attracted large numbers of young people, some demonstrations turned violent, with reports of clashes, destruction and deaths.
Gama remembers the moment his life changed.
He said he was passing near the Gwagwarwa Police Station around the Brigade area of Nasarawa Local Government Area on August 2, a day after the protests began, when he encountered people running in different directions.
“I was passing by the Gwagwarwa Police Station when I saw people running and shouting. I did not know what was happening until I heard gunshots. Suddenly, I was shot in the leg and fell down,” Gama told DAILY POST.
According to him, the officer who allegedly shot him later approached him after others had fled.
“Everyone ran away and left me there. The policeman who shot me came to me and stood over me. I knew him and he knew me. He called my name and said, ‘Even you?’ I told him, ‘You are the one who shot me,’ but he only shook his head and walked away,” he recalled.
Two years later, Gama remains on a hospital bed, his injured leg still refusing to heal properly despite four surgical operations and millions of naira spent on treatment.
He said he initially received treatment at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital before being transferred elsewhere because of the cost of further treatment.
“I spent a long time at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, where they operated on the leg twice. I was later transferred because of the cost, and I underwent another two operations. But the bone has still not healed,” he said.
I am neither dead nor alive – Alasan
Gama’s case, however, is not the worst among the young people whose lives were altered by the protests.
Twenty-four-year-old Muhammad Alasan from Koki Quarter, Dauwara, in Kano metropolis, has spent the past two years living with a bullet fragment lodged in his chest, close to his heart.
In an interview with DAILY POST, Muhammad also blamed security personnel for shooting him during the protest. He said his injury had effectively brought his life to a standstill.
“Only I know how I feel. The bullet is still inside me. For two years, my family has been struggling because of me,” Muhammad said.
“I am neither dead nor alive. I cannot do anything and I cannot go anywhere. There were promises from government officials some months back, but nothing happened.”
Speaking from his sick bed, Muhammad struggled to hide his frustration and disappointment.
He appealed to the Kano State Government to intervene, saying his family could no longer cope with the burden of his treatment.
“The Kano governor should know what we have been going through for the past two years. Everything about our lives has stopped, and those taking care of us are tired.
“We need the government to help us so that we can recover and return to our normal lives like other people. What is our crime?” he said.
Families still waiting for help
For the families of those killed or injured during the protests, the pain has extended far beyond the immediate aftermath of the demonstrations.
Comrade Sagir Yerima, who leads a group representing parents and families of young people killed or injured during the protests in Kano, told DAILY POST that they had repeatedly appealed to the state government for assistance.
He said letters had been submitted and meetings held with government officials, but little had changed.
“We have written several letters. We also met some government officials who promised to speak directly with the governor about our situation, but nothing has come out of it so far,” Yerima said.
According to him, the group has continued to press the government because some of the victims require urgent medical attention.
“We are still appealing to the government because these young people need the care they have been asking for. We hope the government will listen to our appeal and save their lives, especially Muhammad, who is still living with a bullet in his chest,” he said.
Amnesty, police dispute casualty figures
The plight of Gama and Muhammad is part of a wider controversy over casualties recorded during the August 2024 protests.
Amnesty International accused security agencies of using excessive force against protesters and said at least 24 people were killed across several northern states, including Kano, Borno, Kaduna, Katsina and Jigawa.
The organisation had also reported that about 10 people were killed in Kano State alone during the demonstrations.
However, the Nigeria Police Force rejected Amnesty International’s casualty figures in December 2024, describing the report as inaccurate and demanding its withdrawal and an apology.
The police maintained that the figures published by the rights organisation lacked factual basis.
Despite the disagreement over the number of people killed, families of victims say their immediate concern is not the statistics but the lives that were lost and those still struggling with injuries.
For Rabiu Gama, two years have passed without restoring the life he knew before the protest, while Muhammad continues to live with a bullet lodged near his heart.
The nationwide #EndBadGovernance demonstrations may have lasted only a few days, but for victims like Gama and Muhammad, the protest did not end when the streets became quiet. It continues every day in hospital beds, through medical bills, physical pain and lives put on hold.
