There was a tense standoff in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, its satellite towns, Kaduna state , Bauchi and other cities standoff between angry youths and police officers with protesters blocking the road using burning tires and refusing to allow vehicles to pass.
The protest which began peacefully but took a violent turn in some cities leading to violent confrontations between the police and protesters, and some markets did not open for fear of the protests escalating into a crisis.
According to reports, the youths, fueled by frustration and anger, are seeking attention to their plight while the police are working to maintain order and restore normalcy to the area.
As the escalation of the situation and tension continues to unfold and grows, the use of tear gas by the police added to the tensions, and it remains to be seen how the situation will be resolved.
The rally which began peacefully but took a violent turn in some cities leading to violent confrontations between the police and protesters.
No fewer than 17 persons were feared killed in Abuja, Kano, Niger, Borno, Kaduna and Jigawa during the protest which was held across the country on Thursday.
The bad eggs among protesters looted goods from private and government warehouses.
The casualties were recorded as; One person was said to have shot dead in Abuja, two killed in Jigawa, six others were reportedly gunned down by security forces in Niger, while four died in Borno and three in Kaduna
An eyewitness, who identified herself as Ekaete, said the man, whose identity could not be immediately confirmed, was gunned down after the protesters became violent and blocked.
I was waiting for a bus on the expressway when the protesters in their numbers blocked the highway and harassed motorists.
But as they became violent, the police fired live shots, killing the young man. Everybody took off on seeing the man fall,’’ she narrated.
The police also had another encounter with protesters at the Eagles Square, Three Arms Zone, located a few metres away from the Presidential Villa and the federal Secretariat.
The protesters converged on the Eagles Square, chanting the old “Arise, O Compatriots” national anthem and demanding an end to bad governance in the country.
operatives in response fired a couple of teargas canisters to disperse the protesters, who only shouted back in defiance.
The Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, arrived at the scene and attempted to address and calm down the protesters, who shouted him down with chants of “hunger dey.”
However, he called for peace stating that he wasn’t attempting to shut down the protest but to encourage them to be civil in carrying out the protest.
”I’m not here to fight you, I’m not here to ask you not to protest, it is your right. Like I said, I’ve been to over 100-500 protests,’’ Olawande stated.
But things immodestly escalated upon the minister’s exit as the operatives fired more toxic gas and pepper spray, dislodging the protesters at about 12:30am after first firing warning non-lethal shots at the ground.
A female protester Courageously confronted the police officers, holding up her baby and daring them to shoot.
She told journalists that she showed up at the protest with her baby after bandits killed her husband in Katsina.
“I came to protest the hardship in Nigeria and the police are shooting teargas at us. Do they also want to kill my baby? People cannot eat. Things are hard,” the woman, who did not disclose her name, said.
The policemen in a helicopter also fired teargas at a group of protesters occupying the city gate.
Some protesters had earlier gathered at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium area as early as 8:00 Am in compliance with a court order earlier obtained by the FCT administration on Wednesday, restricting them to the stadium.
The FCT commissioner of police, C P Ben Igweh and other officers directed the protester to enter into the stadium which they however, resisted
The protesters later moved to the Eagle Square, when they learnt some protesters were being harassed by security forces.
Before then, five bus-loads of pro-government protesters were brought to the stadium.The placard-carrying youths said they were opposed to the hunger protest.
One of them was interviewed and he admitted that they were promised N5,000 each to stage a counter-protest.
“They (organisers) 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, Take It Back Movement, Damilare Adenola, said the protest would continue until President Bola Tinubu acceded to their demands.
