Three Protesters Killed in Nigeria’s Kaduna State Amid Nationwide Demonstrations

Three protesters were killed in Nigeria’s Kaduna state on Thursday as demonstrators rallied across the country against the rising cost of living and governance issues.

Kaduna state police spokesperson Mansur Hassan stated that the police fired tear gas at protesters and not live ammunition. However, eyewitnesses reported clashes and the use of force by security personnel. In the capital city Abuja, police also fired tear gas to disperse crowds of protesters.

The demonstrations, which took place in Abuja, the commercial capital Lagos, and several other cities, were sparked by discontent over economic reforms that have led to rampant inflation, inflicting increasing hardship on ordinary Nigerians. President Bola Tinubu has vowed to pursue these changes, which he says are essential for the country’s economic survival.

In response to the protests, authorities deployed armed security personnel in an effort to prevent potential violence.

In Lagos, armed police monitored as protesters marched towards the government house before proceeding to two authorized protest locations. Some shopping malls in the city were closed and guarded by a heavy police presence.

Inspired by recent protests in Kenya that resulted in the government scrapping some planned tax increases, Nigerians are mobilizing online to demand the reinstatement of subsidies for petrol and electricity, free primary and secondary education, and measures to combat insecurity, among other demands.

In Abuja, the military mounted roadblocks along the highway leading into the city, while some protesters gathered at a stadium.

Youths also demonstrated in Maiduguri, a city in the northeast of the country that has been a hotbed of militant insurgency, voicing their frustration at the government’s policies despite a heavy security presence.

 

Report by Fatimah Ibrahim Danjumah

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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