- • Deaths reported in Kaduna, Niger States •Lagos, Ibadan, Jos peaceful • Uyo, Lokoja missing from action •Abuja, Kaduna, Kano violent
The #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria nationwide protests scheduled to begin today and to last through 10 August, in spite of official warnings started off in different states of the country, including Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as announced by the planners.
This put the lie to the statement issued purportedly by Take It Back Movement, one of the sponsors of the protests, claiming the protests had been postponed to October 1, this year, owing to security concerns.
Media reports monitored from Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, by WatchmanPost indicated that protesters stormed the streets of Lagos, Kano, Taraba, Bauchi, Niger, Zamfara, Plateau, Oyo, Edo, Osun, Katsina, Sokoto, Kaduna, Borno States, and the FCT, among others.
Armed with placards with different inscriptions, the demonstrators protested economic hardship in the country, where food inflation was as of June 2024 more than 40 per cent, with transport fares tripling in the last one year.
While the protests were reportedly relatively peaceful in Jos, Plateau State; Ibadan, Oyo State; Òsogbo, Osun State, and Lagos, they were not so in the FCT, Niger, Kaduna, and Kano. Protests were not witnessed in Uyo.
In Kano, in spite of the open support given the protesters by Governor Yusuf, criminals, who mingled with the large crowd of protesters, seized the opportunity to break into shops and steal all they could.
Things got out of hand and compelled the state governor to declare a-24-hour curfew in the state to restore law and order. A similar action was taken by the Borno State government with immediate effect to, according to them, preserve law and order.
Recall that yesterday, Boko Haram terrorists reportedly again struck in the State. By evening of today, the state was said to be calm.
In Kubwa, Maraba, Keffi outlier areas of the FCT, security agents clashed with unruly protesters, firing tear gas to disperse them. Some of the protesters were said to be armed with stones and sticks.
The situation in Gwagwalada area of the FCT was, according to Trust TV, riotous, as the protests turned into rioting, with the rioters burning tyres and calling on Tinubu to step down, while one placard called on him to “Save Arewa” from bleeding any further.
In Jos, clergyman Isa El-Buba, armed with the Nigerian flag, led the protest that was clearly orderly and peaceful from pictures shown on Trust TV.
In Bayelsa State, there was a pro-Tinubu solidarity march, which matched through the streets rather exultantly.
In Katsina State, protesters led by mostly young people without any clear leaders, reportedly started peacefully early in the morning, but became looters.
In Ibadan, the protesters, who were peaceful and well coordinated, called on President Bola Tinubu to restore fuel and electricity subsidies, which were removed by him.
In Jalingo, Taraba State, the protests were curiously led by children.
Virtually everywhere the protests took place, businesses were forced to close down, streets were virtually empty of non-protesters, while security operatives from the police, the state security, immigration, the military and civil defence, among others, took up positions strategic locations to ensure law and order were not breached.
The situation in Kaduna was violent according to News Central TV. Protesters stormed Government House, where they clashed with security agents, who arrested several of them, even as one of the male protesters was shot allegedly by the police.
