Nigeria: Anti-Government Protests Record Casualties.

By Caroline Ameh

The anti-government protests which broke out in major cities of the country have witnessed at least six deaths and several others with injuries.

Thousands of mostly young people poured onto the streets across Nigeria on Thursday as they protested against the country’s worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation. Security forces fired tear gas to disperse protesters in several places.

In Lagos the commercial nerve centre of the country, as early as 8.00am, youths started gathering in several locations, Alausa, Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja and the notorious Lekki Toll Gate where many were murdered in  cold blood during 2020 EndSars protest, chanting anti-government songs and displaying placards. Some of the placards had inscription such as ” Enough Is Enough”, “We are Not Slaves”, ” Tinubu R.I.P” etc

Security agents who tried to disperse the crowd using tear gas did not succeed as the youths only regrouped shortly afterwards.

Some youths at Gwagwalada (Federal Capital Territory) set burn fire on the Lokoja-Abuja road making it impossible for commuters to pass. At the Abuja City Centre (close to the Aso Rock Presidential Villa), protesters defied heavy presence of security personnel to express their grievances against the President  Bola Tinubu  administration which they described as inhuman and very corrupt. At the Eagle Square, even journalists who tried to cover the protest were molested by policemen.

However , in Kano where the protesters set ablaze and looted the National Communication Commission building, policemen shot at the protesters killing three persons. Also in Maiduguri, the Borno State where the protests assumed violent dimension, three persons died.

There were protests in Bauchi, Katsina, Daura, Gombe, Minna amongst several other Northern cities. Elsewhere in Southern Nigeria, protests held in Warri, Port-Harcourt, Osogbo, Ibadan  where no casualties were recorded.

As at press time, President Tinubu is yet to address the nation on the protests apart from meetings held with different stakeholders to stop the protest from holding. According to the organisers, the protests will last till August 10, if government does not address the harsh economic situation in the country.