Thousands of Nigerians are expected to commence ten days of nationwide protests today.
The organisers, many of them young people, say they are frustrated by the country’s economic conditions and have vowed “days of rage” in demonstrations.
With momentum soaring on and offline, the Nigerian government fears a replay of the October 2020 #EndSARS protest which started peacefully but turned violent.
President Bola Tinubu has said he recognises the right to peaceful protests. Still, his administration is wary of the “dangers” associated with demonstrations that are “vulnerable” to being hijacked by criminals.
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While the president has begged the youth to shelve the protest, some senior administration officials labelled the protests as unwarranted and politically motivated.
Organisers of the protests are calling for the reversal of the fuel price hike, the restoration of affordable electricity tariffs, and the reduction of import duties to their previous rates.
The groups also demand the reversal of many institutions’ hikes in tertiary education fees. They are also demanding full transparency and accountability in governance, including the public disclosure and reduction of public officials’ salaries and allowances and an emergency fund to support SMEs.
The State Security Service (SSS) alleged that the protests were intended to undermine the government and plunge the country into chaos. Also, the Nigerian Army warned that the protests could lead to anarchy and has promised to take proactive measures to maintain control.
The stance of Nigerian government officials and security agencies regarding the planned nationwide protests has raised serious concerns.
Activists said the officials’ rhetorics suggest a troubling readiness to stifle dissent, heightening fears of a violent crackdown.
PREMIUM TIMES will bring you live updates of the protests from many states in Nigeria.
Follow the live updates here.
8:20 a.m: Abuja roads are deserted with only a few cars plying the always-busy Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Expressway, popularly known as Airport Road.
8:24 a.m: A police van is seen at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja. There are no protesters at the stadium.
8:31 a.m: Armoured Personnel Carrier with soldiers and police operatives seen protect the entry into the Three-Arms Zone. The zone is where the National Assembly, the Supreme Court, and the Aso Villa are located.
Some protesters are gathered at the entrance of the MKO Abiola stadium in Abuja singing anti-government songs.
Security operatives are present.
Dozens of protesters are gathered at the Ikeja underbridge in Lagos. They are singing and dancing and are expected to march from there to other parts of Ikeja.
8:31 am: There are no protesters at the Eagles Square, a public venue the government earlier said would not be made available to protesters. There was, however, a heavy presence of soldiers and police officers at the venue.
At 9 o’clock, Abuja protesters at the entrance of the MKO Abiola stadium were told by the police to go inside. They refused, saying the road was a public road and they were going to stay there to continue their protest.
“I didn’t say you shouldn’t protest but carry all yourselves inside there,” the head of the police team said
The police chief said there is a court order that the Abuja protest be held inside the stadium, and the protesters are violating it.
Take It Back Movement led by lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju are carrying out the protest at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja.
The FCT Police Commissioner, Ben Igwe, said the protesters are disobeying court orders that they should protest inside the stadium and not outside. The protesters disagree
Many offices in the Abuja city centre, like Wuse, Wuse 2, and Central Area, are shut, and the streets are empty. Residents appear to be uncertain of how the protests will proceed and have chosen to stay at home. The entrances to the city centre, like Berger and AYA, are also heavily militarized with armed police officers and soldiers.
9:35 a.m: ‘No Protest’ protesters arrive in three long buses.
They carried No protest placards written on cardboards.
9:45 am: In Abuja, popular protest centres, like the Eagle Square and Unity Fountain, have been blocked by security operatives and heavily militarised. There are no protesters there. The main protest is at the MKO Abuja stadium where protesters have rejected the police directive to move into the stadium.
10.27 a.m: Moshood Abiola Stadium Abuja
So far, the protest at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja has been peaceful. The police have focused on crowd control and preventing traffic congestion.
10:17 a.m: More protesters arrive the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja. They tried to block the road but the police guided them away from the road to allow for free flow of traffic, which is now increasing.
10:32 a.m., Protesters are now marching from Moshood Abiola Stadium to the Eagle Square, Abuja.
10:56 a.m.Members of a group opposed to the protest have joined the protesters as the latter march to Eagles Square from the Moshood Abiola Stadium.
10:48 Lagos protesters are marching from Ikeja to Ojota chanting slogans demanding an end to bad governance.
There is heavy presence of mobile police and anti-riot police officials.
Tension at Gombe Metropolitan Street protests
What started as a peaceful demonstration quickly escalated into a heated protest on Gombe Metropolitan Street, as hundreds of residents joined the protest.
The protesters had gathered in the early hours, carrying placards and chanting slogans demanding immediate action from the state and federal governments to end the economic hardship.
However, the demonstration has remained largely peaceful.
11:36 a.m. Protesters have arrived at the Federal Secretarait from the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
11:45 a.m. Police are firing teargas canisters at the protesters as they (protesters) arrived the Federal Secretariat near the Eagles Square.
11:56 am: Protest turns rowdy as police fire teargas at protesters at the three arms zone
In Taraba, the protesters, mostly children and young people, took to the streets of Jalingo, the state capital.
Armed with placards and banners, the protesters converged at the Ministry of Works roundabout and marched towards the flyover.
The demonstrators shouted in Hausa, ‘Tinubu-Shettima bamuyi’, meaning we don’t want Tinubu and Shettima.
There was little human and vehicular movement as of 12 noon in the area.
Shop owners at the Jalingo market and Hammaruwa Road closed their shops.
The police have dispersed another set of protesters in Abuja. Dozens of protesters were gathered and marching at the NYSC junction in Kubwa when police fired tear gas at them at about 12:40 p.m.
Additional military reinforcements have been deployed along the road leading to the Presidential Villa, also known as Aso Rock.
On the bridge leading into the Three Arms Zone, the military have blocked the entire road with barbed wire.
In addition to the barricade, they have also deployed an Armoured Personnel Carrier with its gun aimed at the protesters.
12: 26 p.m. the protesters are chanting and marching towards the police that they are hungry.
12:21 p.m. The protesters are marching towards the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation.
1:14 p.m: An helicopter sighted hovering around the Central Business District, Abuja.
1:38 p.m.: The protesters, initially dispersed by the police with tear gas on Kubwa Express, have regrouped and are now marching towards NNPC Kubwa, Abuja.
Earlier, at about 1:19 p.m., the police cleared the bonfire set up by the protesters on the road.
Workers desert the Federal Secretariat on Shehu Shagari Way and the Federal Ministry of Finance as protest continues in Abuja.
1:39 p.m: Protesters throw stones at police as they fired tear gas. The protest had relatively gone calm before this sudden resurgence.
1:35 p.m., the police fired tear gas canisters, pushing protesters towards the office of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCDA).
1:59 pm: Again, security operatives fire tear gas to disperse protesters in Kubwa, Abuja.
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