Nigerian security forces clashed with protesters across the country on Thursday, as thousands rallied against the soaring cost of living and economic hardship.
The demonstrations, part of the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria movement, saw violent confrontations in major cities, with security forces using tear gas and live ammunition to disperse crowds.
The protests erupted in response to high inflation and a sharply devalued naira following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s removal of a costly fuel subsidy and liberalization of the currency over a year ago.
The economic reforms, intended to stabilize the economy, have instead led to severe financial strain for many Nigerians, with food inflation at 40 per cent and fuel prices tripling in the past year.
In Kano, Nigeria’s second-largest city, tensions escalated as protesters set fire to tyres outside the state governor’s office.
Police responded with tear gas and live shots, and demonstrators later torched and looted a digital centre of the Nigeria Communications Commission.
Authorities reported widespread looting and arson, leading to the arrest of 13 people. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf imposed a 24-hour curfew in Kano, with similar measures enacted in northern Yobe and Borno states.
In Abuja, the capital, security forces blocked roads leading to Eagle Square and set up barbed wire fences to prevent protesters from reaching the site.
Tear gas was deployed to disperse crowds, including those in Mararaba, a suburb of the capital. Despite these efforts, around 1,000 people marched peacefully in Lagos, chanting against President Tinubu and expressing frustration over the government’s handling of the economic crisis.
Demonstrators across the country have voiced their grievances, with 24-year-old Asamau Peace Adams in Abuja stating, “Hunger has brought me out to protest. It’s all down to bad governance.”
Activists have vowed to continue their protests despite legal challenges attempting to limit their activities to designated areas.
The Nigerian government has called for restraint, with Secretary to the Federation of Government George Akume urging peaceful protest while maintaining vigilance.
The recent protests recall the large-scale demonstrations of 2020 against police brutality, which ended in violence and accusations of excessive force by the military.
Meanwhile, House of Representatives Speaker, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen has emphasized the importance of youth engagement in shaping Nigeria’s future.
Speaking during the ‘Town Hall Meeting with Youth Groups and Organisations,’ yesterday, Tajudeen reiterated his commitment to creating a better Nigeria for the younger generation.
Tajudeen conveyed that the purpose of the town hall was not to intimidate or buy off the youth but to establish a formal platform for ongoing dialogue.
