Four days into the nationwide demonstration that would last for 10-day, the protesters have told the Federal Government that if it fails to accede to their demands, they will continue to display their displeasure.
They vowed not to be intimidated by the hostile gestures expressed towards them by security agents, saying their demands were legitimate.
On Thursday, demonstrators, with placards and banners with different inscriptions hit the streets of Abuja, including the Eagle Square, Federal Secretariat, National Stadium, and suburbs of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, as well as other cities across the country chanting: ‘We dey hungry, end bad governance,’ kick-starting the mass action.
In a show of force, security forces clashed with the peaceful protesters, leading to the loss of several lives; similarly, properties worth millions of Naira were destroyed in some states, including Borno, Kano, Kaduna and Kebbi.
Worried by the development, Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, and activists expressed dismay over how the protesters were attacked and some killed by security forces.
In separate conversations with Sunday Vanguard, security operatives were scored low for unprofessionalism.
Policy brutalising peaceful protesters – Adeyanju
An activist, Deji Adeyanju, who accused the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, of giving order to the police to brutalise the demonstrators, said it was disappointing to hear that Nigerians were killed.
Adeyanju said until a highly placed individual was held responsible for unleashing violence on peaceful protesters, there would be no end to the killing of non-violent demonstrators.
His words: “The President, in clear terms, warned the police against using force. The Nigerian Army who are there with protesters did not attack them, but the police are the aggressors.
Look at what happened at Eagle Square, Borno State and many other parts of the country. Protesters are protesting peacefully and the police cannot exercise restraint. The IGP should be held responsible for all the violence unleashed on peaceful protesters across the country.
“He gave the order and must be held accountable for the violence unleashed. Not until somebody is held accountable for acts like this, it will persist, continue and fester. There must be consequences for the bad behaviour of the police across the length and breadth of the country. Very high-ranking police officers have told us that the order to crack down on protesters came from the IGP. The President should act accordingly. Protesters will continue to improvise and try to beat police brutality.
Citizens have shown that despite the attacks, they are still willing to come out. Thursday attacks will not deter citizens from coming out and whether anybody likes it or not, protest is a fundamental human right given by the constitution, not the President, IGP, Service Chiefs but the constitution, and nobody can circumvent that right.”
Govt may provoke conflicts by promoting counter protests –HOMEF
Sharing his thoughts with Sunday Vanguard, Executive Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation, HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey said the first day was impressive.
According to him, he believed that Nigerians succeeded in sending a clear message to the government.
He said: “The people have shown remarkable respect to the rule of law. They have also largely conducted themselves peacefully. We will likely see a repeat of the protest in the days ahead.
I’m concerned that government may provoke conflicts by the promotion of counter protests. Truth is that counter protests are okay, but protesters have to maintain their lanes, present their case and not provoke clashes. Any government that doesn’t take this protest serious must be on another planet. The points made by protesters are solid and direct. Willful blindness to the demands of the people could precipitate a variant of protestations that may be calamitous to current power structures.
“Some public officers think we are in a military government. The colonial mentality is simply annoying. Nigerians and Kenyans are struggling in the same neocolonial and neoliberal situation where the drivers of governance are taking instructions from forces that push outdated economic ideas that are basically anti people.
Similar objective conditions produce similar outcomes, terrors and pains. The use of live bullets on peaceful protesters is criminal. The shooters, the commanders and government must be held accountable for the carnage.”
Coming days of protest will be pivotal —ActionAid
Expressing optimism that the coming days of the nationwide protest will be pivotal in determining the trajectory of the nation, Country Director of ActionAid, Nigeria, AAN, Andrew Mamedu, urged the President and state governors to take the protesters seriously.
Mamedu, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard, said: “The protest dynamics are evolving differently across various locations.
In the FCT, the number of protesters at the MKO Abiola Stadium decreased today compared to yesterday, whereas Lagos saw an increase in turnout. Sokoto State, which had no protests yesterday, witnessed protesters taking to the streets today. The coming day will indeed be pivotal in determining the immediate trajectory of our nation.
“AAN’s situation room also reported the use of excessive force and live ammunition against protesters, leading to deaths, which is unacceptable, especially in locations like Niger, Borno, Kaduna, and Abuja.
“The continued infiltration of peaceful protests by hoodlums in Lagos, Abuja, Niger, Maiduguri and Yobe is also troubling, as it has even led to the imposition of curfews in four states. These developments pose a significant threat to peace and stability.
“It appears that Tinubu government and other state governments are not taking the protests seriously, despite the gravity of the situation. If they were, they would have addressed the nation and protesting citizens directly by now. Instead, they have invested resources in trying to suppress the protests, which suggests a lack of willingness to engage with the protesters’ concerns.
“Furthermore, the insensitive comments from cabinet members, including serving senators, ministers and even past government officials reinforces this perception, indicating disconnect between government and the people.
Rather than dismissing the protests or using force to suppress them, government should engage with the protesters, listen to their grievances, and provide a detailed plan with clear, time-bound actions to address bad governance and adopt pro-poor policies that can alleviate the severe economic hardships currently being faced. This is the only way to ensure that the situation does not escalate further and that the country can move forward in a positive direction.”
On the accountability of those security agents who killed protesters, he added that government must investigate and hold security agents responsible for the killings and injuries during the protests accountable.
“This includes the use of an independent panel to investigate these issues, identify and prosecute those responsible and provide compensation and support to victims’ families.
Government should also take steps to prevent future abuses; including reforming the security sector and ensuring that security agents are trained to respect human rights.
“To change the narrative, we advise government to adopt a transformative approach by implementing policies that increase accountability to citizens, undertaking constitution reforms that amplify citizens’ perspectives, introducing policies that reduce the cost of governance, enforcing anti-corruption measures within government, and embracing a bottom-up approach to governance that enables the government to listen to the voices of the majority of citizens and promotes healthy dialogue, ultimately addressing the root causes of the protests and minimizing the likelihood of future unrest,” he said.
Tinubu needs to immediately address Nigeria –Global Rights
Lamenting the President’s refusal to calm frayed nerves, Executive Director of Global Rights Nigeria, Abiodun Baiyewu, said: “Let us be honest, when people are extremely hungry, the propensity to violence is much higher, and what they are protesting is bad governance. Bad governance is what has led people to this state.
We have high level of violence in places like Kano, Jigawa and Katsina. Like we mentioned in our press statement, the government had sufficient time to prevent this. They had been notified long enough to prepare for the protests; for example, crowd control. How that has panned out in some places was very careless of government.
You would expect that they would use things like water repellant and rubber bullets, but police officers are firing live bullets at people. Rather than control the crowd, they are aggravating the crowd by instilling violence in those places.
“There are places where things got out of hand, like Kano. For places where people were killed, there must be investigations.
“Nigerians did not want to protest. Meet their demands – crash the prices of food, ensure that we can have a decent living they will not be on the streets. One of the reasons why there is hunger in the land is also because the entire country has become insecure. The food baskets of the country are under siege: places like Benue, Plateau, Taraba, and Kaduna states where a lot of the food comes from are under siege. We must face realities and ask ourselves questions.
People can no longer afford medications, or transportation. Industries are closing down, and the Tinubu administration cannot say they are not aware of all these things.”
Tinubu’s failure to address protesters disappointing — RDI
Executive Director, Renevlyn Development Initiative, Philip Jakpor, on hisn part, also expressed disappointment over the silence of the President, saying he has displayed disregard for Nigerians.
His words: ”The federal government has shown complete disregard for Nigerians in the way the legitimate protests have been handled. The President who described himself as a man of the people during the general elections in 2023 has failed to address the people and assuage their grievances at the time it is most needed. The security agencies that are supposed to protect the peaceful protesters and maintain law and order are accused of actions that have triggered violent reactions including use of live bullets, tear gassing and forceful dispersal.
“This is not what Nigerians bargained for. The protests are well-intentioned to draw attention to the plight of Nigerians as a result of confusing economic policies and flip-flops that have pauperised the citizenry. It is very unfortunate, but Nigerians are undefeated in their demands for good governance.
“RDI’s recommendation is for the government to address corruption and prune spending along the lines of the call on Nigerians to tighten their belts. The wastage, especially at the level of the executive and the National Assembly must be curbed. Pro-people policies must be put in place, not the demeaning distribution of palliatives.”
If govt believes protest will simmer down, they are mistaken —ANEEJ
Also speaking to Sunday Vanguard, the Executive Director of Africa Network for Environmental and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, David Eholor, said: “As we can all observe, the protest is going on in many parts of the country. In some locations, we have seen peaceful protests while in some other locations, there have been some bits of violence. The future with the protest hinges largely on how government responds to citizens’ demands.
“People have been patient, but concrete and lasting solutions are not forthcoming.
Government officials appear unprepared, while citizens are increasingly frustrated. If the government believes they can wait until this unprecedented protest simmers down, they are mistaken. While protests are not new in Nigeria, this one is uniquely driven by hunger and bad governance exacerbated by reckless government policies and unabated looting and mismanagement of public funds. People are desperate for immediate intervention, and I anticipate the protest gaining momentum beyond its initial 10-day plan.
“Instances of police brutality against peaceful protesters have been reported in some locations, this could further worsen the situation. Additionally, each day government delays addressing these issues raise the risk of opportunistic individuals hijacking the protest for criminal activities like looting and violence.
“I am not sure of the number of deaths but certainly when protests of this nature start, it could get out of hand and that’s what we are witnessing. We do not pray for the Kenya experience to happen in Nigeria, that’s why ANEEJ issued a statement at the beginning urging Nigerians to avoid violence and focus on the issues.
“I am using this medium again to speak to Nigerians to avoid violence so that we don’t end up worse off at the end of the protest. The security agents should allow peaceful protesters to exercise their rights and not use tear gas to harass and disperse them.”
Days ahead look unsettling – Plan International
Sharing insights into the nationwide demonstration, Country Director of Plan International, Charles Usie, said: “The days ahead look unsettling. The reports trickling in suggest there had been violence in some places with some protesters shot dead by security personnel. This is condemnable. As an organisation, we implore the protesters to be peaceful and should not allow miscreants to take over their legitimate demands of good governance.
“We also call on law enforcement agencies to exercise restraint in managing the protesters. Non-violent protests by citizens are a legitimate part and parcel of a democracy. Our concern is the safety of the protesters, especially young people, including girls. There appears to be insensitivity on the part of some highly placed public officials who have been indiscreet in their use of language.
“We are also concerned about the safety of public infrastructure as we do not have another country of our own. Overall, we are particularly worried about the safety of young people who are the future of the country. News reports suggest that more than 10 protesters have died already. That is not a good omen.
“Government at the national and sub-national levels have in some ways responded to the protest, the issue is how seriously, and to what extent that response indicates that the government takes this protest seriously?
“Government needs to do more to stem the rising tide. When the citizens do not feel safe or secure, it forebodes anarchy. Government should cut down the cost of governance. The workers should be paid a living wage and the economy should be diversified. For instance, the cost of fuel should go down. Indigenous refineries should be supported to do well.
Support for modular refineries as a measure to address our fuel crises should be taken more seriously by the government providing support for the licensed modular refineries and targeting having more.
“Every country considered developed today supported their local industries to become functional and standing. Provided it is for the generality of the people, the industries should be supported.
“The humongous budgets for lawmakers and other government functionaries will not take us anywhere. The people are not stupid.
“We can take a cue from Kenya. The government has cut down on so many things to assuage the people.”
On security agents accused of killing protesters, he said: “They should be prosecuted and made to face the law. It is not a crime to protest. There is nowhere in the world where law enforcement officers are not asked to account or held to account for their actions in handling or treatment of citizens. Nigeria cannot be an exception if we are to be counted among civilized countries.
“People must be made to account for their actions. The risk also is that where peaceful protesters are murdered in the cause of exercising their fundamental rights to freedom of expression, association and gathering, it tends to push otherwise non-violent persons into a state of anarchy. We need to guard against that.”