At least 17 people are feared dead following violent clashes during the #Endbadgovernance protests held across Nigeria on Thursday. The protests, which started peacefully, escalated into violence in several cities, including Abuja, Kano, Niger, Borno, Kaduna, and Jigawa.
In Abuja, one protester was shot dead along the Kubwa expressway. Another incident at Eagles Square, near the Presidential Villa, saw police firing teargas at protesters. A female protester bravely confronted the police while holding her baby, sharing that bandits had killed her husband in Katsina. The police used helicopters to disperse crowds with teargas.
Kano also witnessed tragic events, with two people killed and hoodlums looting the NCC Industrial Park. In Jigawa, two more fatalities were reported, while security forces allegedly gunned down six protesters in Niger. Four people died in Borno and three in Kaduna amid the chaos.
The demonstrations, which initially began peacefully, turned violent as police and protesters clashed. Businesses, banks, shopping centers, and markets remained closed, fearing the protests would spiral into further crisis.
Protesters in Abuja chanted the old national anthem and demanded an end to bad governance. When the Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, tried to address the crowd, he was met with chants of “hunger dey.” Although he called for calm, the situation worsened after his departure, with security forces using more force to disperse the crowd.
The protests saw significant defiance from the public. In compliance with a court order, some protesters initially gathered at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium at 6 a.m. However, they moved to Eagle Square after hearing about harassment by security forces at the stadium.
Pro-government protesters were also present, opposing the hunger protest. One admitted they were paid N5,000 to counter the protests. “They picked us up and said they would give us N5,000 to protest against these people. I have collected N2,000 and I am waiting for my balance. I am hungry but the money given to him would not solve my problem,” he said.
The Director of Mobilisation for the Take It Back Movement, Damilare Adenola, stated that the protests would continue until President Bola Tinubu met their demands. Protesters are calling for a reduction in petrol prices to N100 per liter, an end to insecurity, the closure of IDP camps, and electoral reforms.
