Tag: protest

Political elites opposed to the Tinubu administration may have shown their hands with sponsorship and mobilization of several groups of mostly non-literate boys who moved round various parts of Abuja city on Thursday, August 1.

However, with the intimidating presence of armed security personnel standing by at various strategic locations and civil servants as well as civil society organizations’ apparent disinterest, calm pervaded most parts of Abuja.

Civil society organizations, students, and well-informed activists were absent all through, especially at the Unity Fountain near Transcorp-Hilton hotel, the nucleus venue of numerous past public protests in Abuja where the ‘Bring-Back-Chibok-Girls’ movement used as the base of daily.

Although some of the youths who went around with tree branches and shouts of ‘Ba mu so’ (Hausa language for ‘We don’t want’) appear not to know those at the root of incitement and mobilization of their leaders, they appear not to comprehend issues earlier put forward as reasons for the protest while few of them on a street off Ahmadu Belo Way only focused on harassing passing motorists for ‘pure water moni’ to assuage thirst and hunger on Thursday afternoon.

Calm prevailed at apartment blocks and estates mostly occupied by civil servants and private sector employees in Wuse and Maitama areas of the city, as most families appear to have transformed Day 1 of the ten-day protest into a day of rest, with most people staying indoors all through while calm prevailed across Abuja on Thursday.

At the Moshood Abiola National Stadium where a small crowd started gathering at the entrance gate just before 7am, they peacefully dispersed shortly afterwards without entering the stadium or recording any incident with the policemen standing nearby.

When our correspondent left the area around noon, small groups of young boys with tree branches said that they were asked to come but they refused to divulge the identity of those who invited them and how much they were being paid.

Such small groups of mostly non-literate boys were encountered in other places but while some violence was reported in a part of Gwagwalada satellite town, no friction or violence occurred at the usual gathering points for protests like Area 1, Berger roundabout, and Wuse Market area.

At Wuse Market, only two uniformed but unarmed civil defence operatives were at the entrance and to emphasize normalcy, the market personnel was collecting the usual entry fee of N100 from motorists; while there was a scanty number of vehicles at the car park there, the market’s branch of Lotus Bank was open, with three of its uniformed staff standing outside.

Although strategically placed security cordons around the Federal Secretariat, Central Bank, the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign headquarters, NNPC headquarters, and other structures were very obvious, detachments of about 15 armed policemen and eight civil defence operatives kept a discreet distance at Herbert Macaulay Way from where they watched the market entrance from a distance.

Fear of gunmen hijacking the protest against the high cost of living on Thursday, August 1, forced residents of Anambra state to stay indoors. 

Some major markets in Onitsha and Awka, opened for business but with few traders in attendance, while in Nnewi, markets remained closed.

Few vehicles were seen along the Awka-Onitsha expressway, and the link roads in towns like Nnewi, Onitsha, and Awka were virtually empty.

Security operatives were patrolling the roads with sirens blaring and were positioned at strategic locations.

One of the traders, Sunday Okeke, told The Nation that there was no need to protest, suggesting that some people wanted to use the protest to showcase their frustration. 

A civil servant, who pleaded anonymity, was seen at Aroma around 12:25 pm, being driven to the office just to sign the attendance register. 

She said that people stayed indoors out of fear of being attacked by gunmen, a practice that has persisted in the Southeast for years.

Many shops, schools, and banks were also closed.

Residents of the two major cities in Abia state, Umuahia, the state capital, and Aba, the commercial nerve of the state, stayed away from their shops and business premises on Thursday, August 1, following the uncertainty of the planned nationwide hunger protest.

The governor of the state, Alex Otti had in a state broadcast on Wednesday appealed to residents of the state not to join the protest as there were fears that some unscrupulous persons may want to take advantage of the protest to cause a breach of peace in the state.

Recall that The Nation had reported that the State Director of the Department of State Security (DSS) had summoned heads of various broadcast and print media outfits in the state including the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in the state to her office, where she was quoted to say that the agency had intelligence that non-state actors were planning to infiltrate and hijack the protest.

Heads of other security agencies in the state including the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) had assured residents of their safety in their various statements ahead of the protest.

People who left Umuahia for Aba early hours of the day paid as much as ₦2,000 for transport fares against the usual ₦1,200 for coaster buses and ₦1,400 for Sienna.

Black market petrol dealers taking advantage of the protest sold Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) for ₦1,000 per liter.

Few Point of Sale (POS) also took advantage of the closure of banks to charge exorbitantly.

Our correspondent who monitored the compliance of residents of the state to the protest reports that though residents of the state didn’t participate in the protest, most of them however stayed indoors.

Major markets in Aba including Ariaria, Ahia Ohuru, Cemetery, and among others which recorded a huge presence of shoppers and visitors had their gates shut.

Commercial banks, fast food centers, major inter and intra-city transport companies, Petrol stations, and other business centres in the state also didn’t open for business activities, leaving their customers to resort to the available alternatives.

A visit to some parts of Aba revealed that no policeman was seen on the road within the city center.

According to our correspondent, a detachment of military personnel was sighted at Bata junction as one of the lanes of the popular Aba-Owerri road leading to the army outpost at Bata junction was cordoned off.

Another batch of military personnel where sighted in another part of Aba carrying out a Show Of Force operation.

Until the time of filing the report, the state has remained peaceful with people moving about their businesses without any form of harassment.

A general atmosphere of calm and apathy prevailed in Akwa Ibom, with a poor turnout of protesters in Uyo, the state capital. 

Our correspondent, who defiled the early rain to monitor the situation, observed that Ibom Plaza and its environs, typically bustling as the city centre, were deserted. 

However, as the rain subsided around 10 am, scores of youths began trickling into the plaza area to mobilize for the peaceful protest. 

Before their arrival, security operatives, including the police and the army, had already taken over Ibom Plaza.

The Ibom Plaza was the epicentre of the EndSars protest in 2020.

Our correspondent reports that the protesters were escorted by armed security operatives around some major streets of Uyo. They were later dispersed.

As at the time of filing this report, activities at the Ibom Plaza, known for its boisterous business activities, were dormant.

Also, shops, banks, and other business centres along Ikot Ekpene, Aka, Oron, Nwaniba, Wellington Bassey Way, and other adjoining rooms were closed.

The protest did not take place in some major towns such as Eket, Ikot Ekpene, Abak, Ikot Abasi.

A nationwide protest against hunger and economic hardship triggered by recent government reforms brought parts of the nation’s capital to a standstill on Thursday, August 1.

The protest, which had been earlier announced, led to the closure of banks, filling stations, and markets in major areas of Abuja.

Banks along Federal Housing Estate Lugbe, including UBA, Fidelity, and Polaris, closed their doors to their customers.

The temporary shutdown was a precautionary measure to avoid potential losses and damage to properties and lives, in light of the ongoing nationwide protests.

Under the watchful eyes of security personnel, the areas surrounding the banks remained peaceful, with no reports of violence or destruction.

In Gwarinpa, major banks including Access Bank, Zenith Bank, First Bank, and GTBank were shut down. While some banks in the Central Business District remained open, they were not attending to customers.

However, their ATMs continued to dispense cash.

Fear of potential violence also forced many businesses to close shop.

In Dutse and Nyanya, markets were completely deserted, while traders in Wuse Market opted to keep their shops closed despite being present.

Read Also: Protest: Shootings, heavy rains keep Imo residents indoors

“We can’t open our shops because of fear that the protest may turn violent,” said Livinus, a trader in Wuse Market.

Another trader, Kelechi, expressed support for the protest but lamented the potential financial losses due to the closure.

Similar scenes were witnessed in Berger, where most shops were closed, and only the NNPCL filling station was operational.

The protest, which is expected to continue in the coming days, has highlighted the growing discontent among Nigerians over the economic challenges facing the country.

Hundreds of protesters on Thursday, August 1, stormed the streets of Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, protesting over the harsh economic conditions in the state and the country at large.

The protesters, mostly youths, marched through major roads like Mokola, Sango, Samonda, UI, and Ojoo among others, chanting songs and demanding better living conditions.

They carried placards with inscriptions such as “End Poverty”, “Create Jobs”, “Improve Our Lives”, and “Tinubu, we are dying” among others.

Speaking with newsmen during the protest, leaders of the protesters, who pleaded anonymity, decried the high level of unemployment, poverty, and insecurity in the state and the country.

He called on the government to take urgent steps to address the challenges facing the people.

Most of the protesters expressed their frustration and anger over the harsh economic conditions in the country.

One of the protesters, Funmi Akinola said: “We are tired of suffering, we are tired of poverty, we want a better life,”

She lamented the high cost of living, lack of jobs, and poor infrastructure in the country.

Another protester, a young woman named Kayode Johnson, said “We want the government to take responsibility for our welfare. We want them to provide us with good roads, good healthcare, and good education.”

He also decried the high level of corruption in the country, saying “We want an end to corruption, we want our leaders to be accountable to us.”

Read Also: Protest: Abuja-Keffi road deserted as protesters take control

The protesters are also demanding that the government take urgent steps to address the security challenges facing the country.

“We want security, we want to be able to move around without fear of being kidnapped or killed,” said a protester, who identified himself as Olamide.

He also called for the government to take action to address the rising cost of food and other essential commodities.

The protest was peaceful, with no reports of violence or arrests.

The peaceful protest against hardships and hunger led by various youth groups in Katsina on Thursday, August 1, turned violent when police teargassed the demonstrators, leading to the looting and burning of vehicles belonging to the Civil Defense Corps.

Violence erupted when different protest groups converged at the Modoji Road roundabout near Government House Katsina, attempting to force their way into the premises to meet the Acting Governor but were resisted by security agencies.

Read Also: Protest: Abuja-Keffi road deserted as protesters take control

The violence led to several injuries, including three policemen.

At the time of this report, the acting governor is holding an emergency meeting with civil society groups and the media.

Details shortly…

The #EndBadGovernance protest erupted at Ojota, Lagos, early hours of Thursday, August 1. Initially, about 15 protesters gathered at 9 am and were later joined by others marching from Ikeja.

Security agencies, including the Lagos State Police, Task Force, Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, Nigeria Civil Defence and Security Corps, and soldiers, were stationed at the protest site and the designated venue, Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park.

Despite requests from Lagos State Commissioner of Police Adegoke Fayoade, the protesters refused to use the park.

However, about two hours later, welders began clearing weeds in the park to make it more suitable for the demonstrators.

Before CP Fayoade’s arrival, anti-hunger protesters also joined the scene.

They confronted the pro-hunger protesters to go and protest in their various states, adding that they won’t allow them to destroy Lagos as they did during the #EndSARS.

The security agencies prevented what could have turned into violence between them.

Read Also: Protest: Abuja-Keffi road deserted as protesters take control

Joseph Amadi, Convener of Citizen Action and Accountable Initiative, said the protest was aimed to ensure that Nigeria has constant electricity and to overcome the current economic hardship.

He also applauded the cordial relationship extended to the protesters by the security agencies at the venue.

The protesters stationed beside Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park played and danced to different songs.

Itinerary traders were making brisk businesses, and selling snacks and drinks to the protesters.