According to eyewitness,
thousands of protestors marched against the rising cost of living and
governance difficulties in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, on
Thursday, and police used tear gas to separate the masses.
Protesters voiced their
dissatisfaction with economic policies that have resulted in widespread
inflation and increased hardship for average Nigerians by holding
demonstrations in Abuja, Lagos, the commercial hub, and several other cities.
Bola Tinubu, the
president, has promised to pursue the reforms he believes are necessary to keep
the nation afloat.
Armed security guards
were sent in by the authorities to quell any possible bloodshed. Armed police
officers in Lagos observed the demonstrators as they made their way to two
approved protest sites after marching in the direction of the government
building.
The city's retail
centers were closed and heavily manned by police. Nigerians are organizing online
to demand, among other things, the restoration of fuel and electricity
subsidies, free primary and secondary education, and steps to combat
insecurity.
These demands are
motivated by the June protests in Kenya, which forced the government there to
axe some planned tax increases.
In Abuja, the military
mounted roadblocks along the highway leading into town, while some protesters
gathered at a stadium.
Youths demonstrated in
the city of Maiduguri, the hotbed of a militant insurgency in the northeast of
the country, in the face of a heavy security presence, to voice their
frustration at the government and its policies.
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