Two days gone, eight days more: Glimpses of national protest

As the 10 days #Endbadgovernance protest entered its day two on Friday, the experiences of Nigerians across the states differed. While the protest still raged in some states, amid allegations of brutality by security agencies, normalcy was restored in others as economic activities resumed. Below are the glimpses of the protest so far as captured by The Guardian:

Protest: IGP Condemns Violence, Places Operatives On Red Alert
THE Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, has condemned the looting, destruction of properties and attempts to take over government buildings among others illegal acts during Thursday’s protest.

Egbetokun, speaking during a live broadcast, also said several warehouses and shops have so far been looted and, in some instances, destroyed.

He added: “Regrettably, events in some major cities showed that what was being instigated was mass uprising and looting, not protest. Those who were at the forefront of promoting the idea of the protest were not around to lead it. Hoodlums have been let loose on innocent Nigerians and their hard-earned businesses and property looted and destroyed.

“The motive of the rioters was two – loot and destroy both private and government property. The destruction so far has been mind-boggling. There has been destruction in Kano, Borno, Yobe, Kaduna, Gombe, Bauchi, FCT Abuja, Niger, Jigawa. Police stations have been destroyed. There have been attempts to take over government houses, looting of government infrastructures, several warehouses and shops have so far been looted and, in several instances, destroyed.”

He ordered all police units to be on red alert to ensure public safety.

“Our officers are fully mobilised and prepared to respond swiftly and decisively to public safety and order. The red bands we are wearing signify that our command is on high alert. Those claiming they were not served court orders must understand that serving faceless individuals is challenging. Their threats were made on social media, and they were served through the same platform,” he noted.

Egbetokun noted that police officers didn’t breach protesters’ constitutional rights despite violating court orders.

Similarly, following distress calls on the activities of some hoodlums, who took advantage of the ongoing protests which began on Thursday, August 1, 2024, to block the Lugbe end of the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Expressway at about 10pm, to rob and assault innocent citizens, which led to an exchange of gunfire with police operatives in Lugbe area of Abuja, the FCT Command has put all medical personnel in and around the Federal Capital Territory on high-alert to the possibility of receiving victims with gunshot wounds.

FCT police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, said: “In line with the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act 2017, it is instructive to note that such patients come under medical emergencies that require urgent attention in order to save the life of the patient, and should be accorded all necessary medical assistance.

“However, the Police Division/Formation within the jurisdiction of such hospital or healthcare facility should be informed to interview such patient so as to ascertain their person/roles in the prevailing security situation in the FCT.

“The Commissioner of Police hereby warns unscrupulous elements who may want to hide under the guise of protest to carry out heinous crimes such as armed robbery, shop breaking, rape, assault on innocent citizens and vandalisation of public property to desist from such as police officers and other security agents have been put on red alert to curtail them and maintain law and order.”

Thugs Harass Protesters As Lagos CP Promises To Free Detained Protesters
Thugs, on Friday, harassed protesters in the Ojota area of Lagos, ordering them to go to their various homes to protest.

The protesters converged on the Ikorodu-Ojota Road service lane around 9am but the thugs numbering about 20 asked the protesters to leave. Some minutes afterward, an Assistant Commissioner of Police asked the protesters to move into the Gani Fawehinmi Park to continue their protest.

The protesters said they were concerned that both the thugs and police could ambush them.

But at 11:32am, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fayoade Adegoke, met with the protesters, urging them to enter into the park which was rejected.

The CP later allowed the protesters to remain on the service lane after several resistances.

CP Adegoke said: “I am going to be with you and I’m giving you 100 per cent assurance that nobody will infiltrate the park. I will not leave here until the end of the protest and be in charge of the security of this place.”

Speaking on the protest, a legal practitioner, Joseph Okpute, described the protest as a referendum against bad government and the All Progressive Congress (APC) for mismanaging the country in every aspect.

Speaking also, Inibehe Effiong, said: “The government has not yet addressed the demands of the protesters so the protest has to continue peacefully. I condemn the violence and looting taking place in parts of the country. The protest is for 10 days but it can end today if the government addresses the demand of the people.”

Normalcy Returns To Ibadan As Commercial Activities Resume
NORMAL commercial activities returned to Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State yesterday following the protests that left most major roads and streets across the city virtually empty, but without a single record of violence, on Thursday.

However, a combined team of armed security personnel, which include police, soldiers, among others, were still strategically stationed at Mokola Roundabout, Iwo Road, Ojoo, U.I Gate, Dugbe, Challenge and other places.

Major markets and motor parks and other businesses that were virtually shut down on Thursday had resumed operation as at Friday. Although it took some time before many of them started operations, between 10 am and11am normal activities had resumed.

Meanwhile, most financial institutions including banks did not open.

Some of the security personnel who stayed overnight at Mokola and other strategic places disclosed to The Guardian that none of the protesters were seen in any of the strategic locations on Friday.

Economic Activities In Full Swing In Enugu
AS the hunger cum end bad governance protest entered day two on Friday in Enugu, banks and federal institutions remained under lock and key with some residents resuming for commercial activities.

On Thursday, economic activities were halted as residents stayed indoors, refusing to open for businesses.

Although a group, Citizens Nigeria, on Thursday staged a peaceful walk from the Naira Triangle to the Michael Okpara Square, where they addressed journalists, they, however, did not continue with the protest on Friday.

The Guardian observed that as a result of improved commercial activities within the city, there was increased vehicular traffic in several places.

Similarly, the markets, deserted on Thursday, were wide open and filled with traders and buyers on Friday.

A resident, John Ukoha, told The Guardian that he decided to open his business because past protests did not yield meaningful results.

“What does it cost to make the people happy? So, for me, it is not about protests. It is about someone wearing a human heart. They don’t think we are supposed to exist. Thus, is it not better to manage with what we have?

“If I join the protests, the next thing they will do is to unleash their security against us. So, the best way is to avoid them,” he said.

Also, a rice seller, Mrs. Mary Ugwu, said: “Staying at home and locking up my shop again today will create more hunger in my family. The point has been made and that is, we are not happy with the situation of the country. If they think that they are there to serve our interests, they should do something about those demands raised by Nigerians. Until the price of fuel is reduced, there is no way prices of other items will decrease.”

Peaceful Protest Continues In Rivers Amidst Tight Security
RIVERS State, which has been engulfed in political crises for about 10 months, continued to witness peaceful protest on day two. Many had feared that the protest might be hijacked and turned violent.

Even Governor Siminalayi Fubara pleaded with the youths and civil society groups to shelve the protest, saying he has credible information that some mercenaries and thugs had been hired from outside the state to destroy valuable infrastructure assets in the state in the guise of protests.

But the protesters including youths, women, youths, right groups, artists, musicians, children, among others, shunned the governor’s plea by taking to the streets.

On the second day, like day one of the protest, there was a massive turnout of protesters, though the tempo of commercial activities also increased, as markets, shops, banks, supermarkets opened for businesses.

The State Police Command was friendly with the protesters. The State Commissioner of Police, Tunji Disu, came out with his men, monitoring the  situation  as some officers escorted the protesters peacefully and even gave them bags of  water.

The protesters, however, changed the direction of the procession on the second day. Instead of the usual Aba/Port Harcourt Road, they headed  toward Rumumasi area in Port Harcourt.

They also occupied the roads chanting songs like, ‘hungry dey, hungry  dey’; ‘how many people government go kill’. They also carried  placards that read: ‘Reduce fuel price’;  ‘Akpabio we are hungry’; ‘Tinubu we are hungry, Nigeria must work.’

There was however little altercations when the protesters refused to leave the road when security personnel asked them to do so but it was resolved amicably.

Meanwhile, in the early hours of Friday, touts around Rumola Flyover harassed and extorted residents and passerby.

Protesters Movement Restricted In Uyo
AS protest entered the second day, scanty protesters gathered at Ibom Plaza in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, as police restricted participants’ movement in the state.

The protest was meant to kick off at the Unity Park in Uyo, the approved venue by the state Police Command and protesters were restricted from moving to other locations amid the downpour.

However, most roads in Uyo, the state capital and other major cities of Eket and Ikot Ekpene Ibeno were deserted with many passengers stranded due to the presence of few commercial vehicles.

Most civil servants also did not turn up for work while markets, banks and most businesses were closed for fear of looting.

Nwaniba Water Fountain, popular Ibom Plaza, Secretariat roundabout, and Circus, where protesters usually converge in  Uyo, were visibly bereft of protesters but had security operatives including the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the local security outfit, Ibom Watch patrolling the area.

A few protesters who went home disappointed, accusing the  police of restricting them to only the Unity Park, which they described as remote.

Recall that Governor Umo Eno had earlier held a stakeholders forum where leaders of some organisations like the Nigeria Labour Congress and National Association of Nigerian Students backed out of the protest.

Obasa Commends Lagos Residents Over Peaceful Protest, As Commissioner Tasks Protesters On Sanctity Of Structures
SPEAKER, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has described the peace experienced in the state amid a nationwide protest as commendable.

Obasa, who applauded the peaceful conduct of the protesters in Lagos, praised the citizens for hearkening to the voice of reason and wisdom.

In a statement, the speaker observed that the protesters mostly carried out their actions in accordance with the law allowing residents to go about their activities in peace.

“These grievances have been noted and I am convinced that the state and federal governments are not folding their arms in relation to making Lagos and Nigeria greater than we are currently witnessing.

“President Bola Tinubu is championing policies that ultimately have the tendency to move Nigeria to the level we all anticipate. In the meantime, he has taken steps to mitigate the challenge of food shortage upon which the protest is hinged.

“In Lagos, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu with the support of the House of Assembly under my speakership, has provided roadmaps for more developments aside sustaining standards,” Obasa said.

He assured that the Assembly would not only collaborate with the executive arm to ensure that residents keep enjoying the administration, but would also continue to stand as one hope of the people of Lagos.

The speaker, who had earlier met and secured the promises of residents of Agege not to participate in the protest, further thanked law enforcement agents in the state for conducting themselves professionally in the maintenance of law and order just as he praised religious leaders, traditional and community heads, development and related associations, market leaders and artisans for their understanding and support of the government.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State government has urged protesters to shun violence and respect the sanctity of physical structures.

The call was made by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide in Alausa on Friday.

Olumide, who reinforced the position of the state government that the situation called for sober reflection instead of protest, given the genuine efforts of government at all levels to bring succour to the people, said that protesters should refrain from destroying physical structures that are meant to serve  residential, commercial and institutional needs of the people.

Rather than violence and destruction,  this period calls for everyone to be circumspect and particularly respect the sanctity of buildings,  considering the values attached to them, the high cost of erecting them and their important functions in the society, including their accommodation and aesthetic values,” he said.

He added that all hands must be on deck to build a livable, organised,  orderly and sustainable physical environment.

Bayelsa Still Calm, With Pockets Of Protests
• IYC Explains Reasons  For Boycott
DESPITE the directive by Bayelsa State government to civil servants to be at their duty post, and the no-protest stance declared by the Ijaw National Congress (INC) as well as the Ijaw Youths Congress (IYC), some residents protested on the streets of Yenagoa, the state capital, just as few civil servants resumed at the state and federal secretariat complexes.

However, while many of the shops, supermarkets and private businesses and financial institutions such as banks were under locks and keys on the first day, the situation improved tremendously on the second day as normalcy returned gradually with increased commercial activities.

The protest was peaceful and calm as people resumed their normal activities unmolested.

Commercial activities in most markets were also in full swing with heavy military and mobile police presence in most locations.

Meanwhile, the Spokesman of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, Binebai Princewill, reaffirmed that the council was not participating in the protest.

Princewill noted that the press briefing was necessary to further reaffirm the position taken by the council through the President of IYC Worldwide, Jonathan Lokpobiri.

While calling on the Federal Government to be human enough in addressing the yearnings of Nigerians, Princewill stressed that Nigerians were truly suffering, stressing that there was a need for the government to make life easy for the common man.

He noted that while the IYC is not joining the protest, the Federal Government should also be aware that the Ijaw people and the entire Niger Delta region are yearning for proper development.

He highlighted the demands of the IYC to include the urgent fixing of the entire East-West Road, relocation of International Oil Companies (IOCs) headquarters back to the Niger Delta region and the inclusion of Ijaw people in the purported sale of Shell’s Onshore Assets.

NUJ Condemns Attack On Journalists In Kano
• Sanusi Warns Residents Against Purchasing Stolen Property
KANO State council of Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) has condemned the attack on journalists by unscrupulous elements during Thursday’s #EndbadGovernance protest in Kano.

Gangs of miscreants, who took advantage of the mass protest to perpetrate their nefarious act, unleashed terror on individuals, ransacked properties and carted away food and valuables.

Apart from that, the hoodlums who eventually hijacked the peaceful protest, inflicted injuries on innocent people including about 11 journalists monitoring the demonstration.

In a statement by the Chairman, Abbas Ibrahim and Secretary, Abba Murtala, the NUJ urged security operatives to ensure protection of journalists while discharging their duties.

“A bus belonging to Channels Television carrying 11 journalists from various media houses, including print and broadcast, was attacked by the hoodlums wielding dangerous weapons along Sokoto Road in Kano.

“They smashed the glass of the bus, injuring some of the occupants in the process. Similarly, a car belonging to Wazobia, Cool FM, Arewa group conveying reporters was attacked by hoodlums near the Kano Government House.

“We wish to state clearly that it is constitutional for citizens to stage peaceful protests but illegal and unlawful to subject other citizens to intimidation and abuse.

“We, therefore, condemn in very strong terms the attack on journalists who are out performing their jobs as responsible members of the society contributing their quota for the progress and development of our dear nation.

“We will also use this opportunity to call on all authorities concerned to ensure that law and order is maintained in the state,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, Emir of Kano, Mallam Muhammadu Sanusi II, has condemned destruction and looting of public and private property during Thursday’s protest, insisting that the criminal act ought to have been avoided.

He also cautioned residents against purchasing any stolen property found on sales but to draw the attention of security agents to apprehend perpetrators of crime.

Addressing a press conference on Friday at the emir’s palace, the former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) lamented that Kano was the worst hit in the country during the protest.

The emir specifically cited attacks on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Digital Industrial Park, Kano State Print Press, and other public facilities where equipment worth billions of naira were either looted or destroyed..

He lamented that the hijackers have taken the economy and development backward, stating that wasted resources would never add any progress to the growth of Kano.

“Today is a sad day for the people of Kano as we reflect over the events of yesterday (Thursday). The violence of yesterday was what scholars and leaders kept warning against the possibility that miscreants and agents of destruction would hijack peaceful demonstrations and use that opportunity to cause mayhem which led to loss of lives and destruction of properties and injuries to countless people.

“As we said during the stakeholders meeting, any violence in Kano only hurts Kano, it hurts innocent people. The young people who died are our children; the property that was burnt and stolen belongs to the people of Kano.

“We have set ourselves back. The printing press that was burnt will have to be rebuilt; the machines will have to be bought and these are funds that could have gone into youth empowerment, into poverty alleviation, into education, healthcare and nutrition and addressing the very problems that we are protesting against.

“The Digital Centre of excellence that was built by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) was aimed at educating our youth, giving them digital training, preparing them for examinations. I had personally spoken to the minister and I am aware that the minister was due to come in next week to commission this centre along with the Governor. We have vandalised and destroyed the computers; we have wasted hundreds of millions of naira that was supposed to be investment in human capital,” Sanusi lamented.

CSOs Condemn Suppression Of Protest, Urge Tinubu To Address The Nation 
AS the nationwide hunger protest entered its second day, Building Blocks for Peace Foundation, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to address the nation on the concerns and demands of the citizens.

The organisation believes that addressing the nation on the concerns of the protesters would bring not only peace and security, but also lead to prosperity for all Nigerians.

The group, in a statement by its Executive Director, Rafiu Lawal, faulted the handling of the ongoing protest over bad governance, noting that it was deeply concerned by the various attempts by the government to clamp down and infiltrate protesters.

Lawal warned that closing the democratic space for peaceful protests and demonstrations might force the aggrieved to seek other clandestine means of expressing their grievances which might jeopardise the already fragile stability and peace that Nigeria enjoys.

Also, the Action Group on Free Civic Space (AGFCS) has condemned the alleged brutality by security operatives on protesters against bad governance in Nigeria.

AGFCS is made up of over 50 civil society groups across Nigeria.

In a statement on Friday signed by the Executive Director of Rule of Law and Accountability Centre (RULAAC), Okechukwu Nwaguma, and the Executive Director of Centre for Community Empowerment in Conflict and Peacebuilding (CCECPEACE), Salaudeen Hashim, the group lamented the escalating violence that visited the protests.

The group stated: “We are alarmed by the increasing reports of violence, intimidation and unlawful detentions perpetrated by state actors, as well as the harassment of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs), and infiltration of the peaceful movements by thugs with intent to discredit and destabilise the legitimate demands of Nigerians.

“Across multiple states, including Kano, Niger and Kaduna, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, peaceful protesters have been met with disproportionate and excessive force by security personnel. These actions have resulted in numerous casualties, with reports of grievous physical harm and fatalities in some areas. The use of live ammunition, teargas and other aggressive tactics against unarmed citizens is a blatant violation of their fundamental rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution and international human rights conventions to which Nigeria is a party.”

AGFCS expressed worry over the harassment, threats, mobile communications throttling and abduction of journalists, who are merely fulfilling their duty to report the truth.

It added: “Digital rights are human rights and the press plays a critical role in any democracy. The targeting of media professionals is a direct attack on the freedom of the press and the public’s right to be informed. We call for the immediate and unconditional release of all journalists unlawfully detained in the course of covering these protests.

“The imposition of curfews, such as the 24-hour lockdown in Kano State, further exacerbates the situation, as it restricts the movement of citizens and prevents them from exercising their rights. This heavy-handed approach does nothing to address the underlying issues driving these protests but instead deepens the mistrust between the government and the people.”

Group Decries Excessive Force on Protesters Over 21 Deaths Recorded
THE United Action Front of Civil Society has condemned the alleged police brutality and violence unleashed on unarmed protesters during the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria nationwide protest.

In its appraisal of day one of the nationwide protest, the group reported 21 deaths, 175 injuries, and 1,154 arrests.

In a statement on Friday, Head of the Coordinating Secretariat, Olawale Okunniyi, expressed strong condemnation of the excessive force used by security agents, despite assurances from the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

The group called on the IGP to immediately restrain his men and improve their professionalism in managing civil protests.

The civil society group also denounced the looting and vandalism of properties, suspected to be sponsored by enemies of the Nigerian people.

They urged the government to engage with protest leaders to address key demands, including reducing fuel prices to pre-January 2023 levels, slash electricity tariffs, implement free conversion of vehicles to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), and take immediate action to address corruption and waste in government.

Additionally, the group demanded a reduction in the high cost of governance by cutting emoluments and allowances of government officials.

They emphasised that urgent government action in these areas would help douse growing tension and avert further protests and strikes.

Kaduna Police Vows To Treat Protesters With No Permit As Criminals, Arrest 25
THE Kaduna Police Command has vowed to regard protesters with no permit from the state command as miscreants and criminals.

The Police, therefore, urged parents and guardians to warn their wards from engaging in violent acts in the guise of embarking on protest against hunger and bad governance.

The spokesman of the Police in Kaduna State, ASP Mansir Hassan, in a statement, said that security operatives would not fold their hands to watch criminals and miscreants engage in acts of looting, vandalism as observed during Thursday’s protest.

“Following the infamous sudden outbreak of violence that characterised the nationwide protest in Kaduna, the Police have arrested about 25 miscreants involved in violent conducts.”

YCW Demands Respect Of Rights Of Non-protesters
THE President, Yoruba Council Worldwide (YCW), Oladotun Hassan, has appealed to protesters under the aegis of #EndBadGovernance to respect rights of those not interested in the process while making their demand known to the government.

He made the appeal, on Friday, in a reaction to the protest scheduled to last for 10 days across the country.

Hassan said: “Having regards to #ENDSARS cum recent Kenyan protests and its concomitant gruesome consequences; we must strike a balance to rights.

“The proponents of protest need to equally respect the rights of those not interested. The right to protest is no collective right, but individual rights. The right of those who believe not in protest must as well be recognised and protected.”

The YCW boss said based on verified reports, the protest has led to massive lootings and attacks in Kano, Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna and killings in Niger State and cautioned the Northern Elders Forum to rescind their endorsement of the protest on moral grounds of reciprocity.

The group argued that the present administration met a decomposed economy from the various successive governments, stating President Bola Tinubu has tirelessly left no stone unturned in the last 428 days and still counting to rebuild a new Nigeria.

Be Patient With Tinubu, Stop Protests, Yoruba Elders Beg  
THE Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), on Friday, called on those protesting against hardship in the country to end the exercise, urging the protesters to be patient with the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.

In a statement by its Secretary-General, Otunba Oladipo Oyewole, YCE called on every Nigerian to refrain from emotional outbursts.

He argued that Tinubu could not have brought about the change within his first year in office.

“For Nigeria, a country blessed with abundance of human and material resources, there have been thefts and stealing in small and in big dimensions. Our situation started getting worse as the decadence and plundering of Nigeria’s wealth grew to greater heights and corruption surfaced and bared its face in a big dimension

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT) thus inherited an economy that had been plundered. He knew that before assuming office but planned to re-engineer the rot in the Nigerian situation for the better so that all may be well. President Bola Tinubu could not have brought about the change within his first year in office.”

Obi Denounces Doctored Video Portraying Him Leading Protest
LABOUR Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has raised the alarm over attempts to blackmail him into conforming to some nefarious agenda with doctored videos of his past engagements.

Writing on his X-handle on Friday, Obi clarified that some video circulating online were previous engagements which were twisted to portray him as declaring a war on northerners.

He also drew the attention of Nigerians to another doctored video showing him to be leading a protest in Abuja, insisting that they were fake.

He said: “I have noticed some deliberate and well-orchestrated efforts by some persons to blackmail me into conforming to some of their nefarious agendas.

“Their dubious moves have led to the false circulation of a video from my recent keynote speech at the installation of Rotarian Professor A. U. Nnonyelu in Anambra State.

“They have twisted the video to suit their motive to suggest that I declared war on northerners when; in fact, I spoke about declaring war on economic stagnation, insecurity and corruption.

“Another video circulating online supposedly showing me leading a protest in Abuja is also false. The video was actually taken during my visit to the Labour Party Headquarters, where I mediated in a clash between the Labour Party and the NLC.

“The video was conveniently edited to create a false narrative, and those responsible have been paid to spread this misinformation. This kind of misinformation has no place in our democracy, where truth and honesty should prevail.

“This misrepresentation is part of a larger narrative of blackmail, aimed at fitting me into their malicious agenda. I remain committed to a new Nigeria where justice, equity and caring for the citizens will prevail over the greed of a few.

Obi also took exception to threats of genocide against the Igbos on X, describing it as another threat against unity.

“Similarly, and deeply disturbing, I have read genocidal threats on X against the Igbo tribe, calling for their relocation. Let me pointedly warn that such rhetoric threatens our unity and is fundamentally opposed to our constitution, which guarantees every Nigerian the right to live and work freely anywhere in the country.

“Those in authority must show leadership and urgently speak out against such divisive rhetoric. Immediate action should be taken to investigate, arrest and prosecute those behind this heinous agenda, serving as a deterrent to others who might consider pursuing similar paths that threaten our national security and unity.”