On Nigeria’s 64th Independence Day, protesters gathered at the Ikeja Underbridge in Lagos State, expressing their discontent with the country’s current state. The demonstration, tagged #FearlessOctober1, is a continuation of the #Endbadgovernance protest that took place from August 1 to 10.
The protesters, comprising various civil society groups such as the Take It Back Movement, Education Rights Campaign, Coalition for Revolution, and Socialist Workers League, displayed placards bearing inscriptions like “Reverse electricity tariff now,” “End all attacks on democratic rights,” and “Reduce petrol price to N197 per litre; end scarcity.”
A large contingent of security personnel, including policemen, Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps officials, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, closely monitored the protest. The state Commissioner of Police, Olanrewaju Ishola, led the police team.
This marks the second time in two months that Nigerians have taken to the streets to express their dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of issues like hunger, insecurity, government wastefulness, electoral reforms, and human capital development.
The protesters are demanding that the Federal Government address these concerns, which have been ongoing for months. The demonstration is a peaceful expression of the people’s frustration with the current state of affairs in Nigeria.
In related news, police teargased protesters in Abuja market, and the Ogun court restricted protesters to MKO Abiola Stadium. The Defence Headquarters has placed the military on alert, while civil society organizations oppose troop deployment.