Protests against economic hardship turned awry in some Nigerian states on Thursday, the first day of the ‘10 days of rage’ against #EndBadGovernance campaign.
Though President Bola Tinubu took over governance more than one year ago, Nigerians are unhappy with his administration over the hurried but unprepared removal of fuel subsidy seen as a scam that has resulted in hyper-inflation of goods and services and attendant hardships.
The nationwide protests propagated on social media started on Thursday, August 1, 2024, and would stretch till August 10 across all states of the Federation including the nation’s capital, Abuja.
Hundreds of protesters on Thursday, wreaked havoc as they trooped to the Daura residence of former President Muhammadu Buhari in Katsina State.
In a video going viral on social media, the protesters were seen gathered in their numbers at a location said to be the surrounding area of Buhari’s home.
Dark plumes of smoke shot into the sky, believed to be from burnt tyres.
A voice is heard saying in Hausa that the protest is taking place around the home of the former President.
This happened on day 1 of the #EndBadGovernance in Nigeria over economic hardships in the country.
Seven mass transit buses were burnt in Potiskum, the headquarters of Potiskum Local Government Area of Yobe State on Thursday amid the #EndBadGovernance nationwide protests.
The buses were set ablaze on the premises of the local government secretariat in Potiskum.
An eyewitness told Channel Television in the North-East state that some persons came in their numbers to cause mayhem but were quickly prevented by the security personnel.
The Spokesman for the Yobe State Police Command, Dungus Abdulkarim, confirmed the incident at Potiskum, saying the perpetrators will be brought to book.
Curfew Imposed
Meanwhile, curfew has been imposed in Borno, Kano and Yobe States where rampaging hoodlums reportedly burnt public properties and looted private assets.
Already, Yobe State government has imposed a 24-hour curfew in Potiskum, Gashua, and Nguru towns where some hoodlums are taking advantage of the protest to vandalise and loot government and private properties.
Dairy Abdulsalam, the Special Adviser to Governor Mai Mala Buni on Security Matters, urged the general public to abide by the curfew order and stay at home for peace to reign in the affect areas and the state at large.
According to him, the security agencies have been directed to ensure enforcement and full compliance with the curfew order.
The police on Thursday vowed to maintain law and order and prevent anarchy in all parts of the country as the #EndBadGovernance protests held in several parts of Nigeria.
Force spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi, who was a guest on Channels Television’s The August Protests show said no policeman fired live ammunition at peaceful protesters but tear-gassed “unruly hoodlums” who took over the streets to wreak havoc.
“To the best of my knowledge, I don’t think any policeman has fired any live ammunition. Everything you are seeing now is tear gas.
“We have seen the unruly attitude of certain hoodlums who have taken over the streets. We are still engaging them with tear gas. No live ammunition yet,” Adejobi said.
Videos and photos of policemen dispersing protesters in Abuja, Lagos, Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano, and other places with tear gas have been viral since the protests commenced on Thursday morning. Members of the civil society have vocally condemned the “assault” on protesters.
“It is not what we planned for again. It is not what they painted the thing to be. This is a different scenario and we need to nip it in the bud before it gets escalated and turn to anarchy,” said the Force spokesman.
“The police and other security agencies will not allow anarchy in this country. The lesson we learnt during EndSARS is still fresh in our memories. And that is enough for us,” he said, adding that “it won’t be too palatable for us if this continues for 10 days”.
‘Police Value Every Soul’
The Force spokesman said the police value the life of every single Nigerian and the protests have been engaged professionally.
“No occasion so far in Abuja has warranted the use of live ammunition. All so far is the use of tear gas. We value the souls of Nigerians; a soul is important to us, and we don’t want to lose any soul. We are mindful of that and we are going to engage every situation professionally.
“If it is peaceful, we are ready to move with them. We have deployed our ambulances to even follow protesters where necessary but where they want to be violent, we know what to do; we are going to cut their clothes according to their sizes, we are going to give it back to them the way they want it.
“If they want to run down the government, we will not fold our hands to see this system being run down.”
He said hoodlums will be identified and dealt with decisively according to the provisions of the law.
“Section 40 of the Constitution has given us rights to assembly, association and the like but Section 45 has stated clearly that on no account should allow (violence). No fundamental human right is absolute and this is what we are saying,” he said.
Prices of food and basic commodities have gone through the roof in the last months, as Nigerians battle one of the country’s worst inflation rates and economic crises sparked by the government’s twin policies of petrol subsidy removal and unification of forex windows.
The police, military and the Department of State Services had warned against Kenya-styled protests. Politicians, who surmised that the planned rallies might end up like the EndSARS demonstrations of October 2020, have continued to appeal to youths to shelve the planned rallies but the young people have been unfazed.
Calm in Uyo and Port Harcourt
Calm prevailed in Uyo, the Capital of Akwa Ibom State as residents refused to participate in the nationwide protests for fear of arrest and molestation.
A few days to the protest, the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Uyo Eno, had addressed a cross section of relevant stakeholders on the need to shelve the protest.
The day began with heavy rains that lasted for hours. As at the time of filing this report, residents were seen going about their lawful businesses.
Akpan Andem, Anua and Etuk Markets in Uyo, among others in the state were operational, though business operations in major streets like Nwaniba, Abak, Aka, and Ikot Ekpene Roads were halted.
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Commercial banks across the city were also not opened for regular operations with their doors locked to customers while most Keke and buses had few or no passengers.
Later in the day, the state Police Liaison Officer, ASP Timfon John told Comfort FM, Uyo that protesters were confined to Museum Park along Udo Udoma Avenue.
On Wednesday, July 31, the Chairperson of Nigeria Labour Congress, Akwa Ibom State Council, told Straightnews in Uyo that labour would not participate in the protest because they were involved coupled with the fact that they did not know the organisers of the protest.
From Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, Day 1 of the nationwide ‘End Bad Governance’ protest left the city looking like a ghost town.
Places known to be a beehive, even on public holidays, are a shadow of themselves.
Our correspondent who went around to observe the town, noticed that the lively and bubbly city of Port Harcourt has gone dry, with the only chants and sounds coming from the procession of the protest.
Several pressure groups were seen chanting and bearing placards that communicate their grievances.
Shops on the Elekahia Road in the heart of Port Harcourt Metropolis were under lock and key.
Even the popular Mechanic/Spare Part Village is empty without a single person around.
An interesting sight is some young men who did not join the protesters but carried placards within their residential environment, communicating that they want an end to what they call “Bad Governance.”
The organised labour in Rivers State was conspicuously missing among the crowd.
The ‘End Bad Governance’ protest commenced from Pleasure Park, contrary to the address for kickoff released in a statement signed by the legal representative of Take it Back Nigeria, one of the major groups spearheading the protest.
