Nigerian security forces engaged in confrontations with demonstrators during widespread protests regarding the nation’s economic turmoil, resulting in a reported nine fatalities, according to a rights organization on Friday. One police officer lost his life as the military warned of potential intervention to suppress any escalated violence.
Additionally, authorities reported that four individuals died and 34 were injured on Thursday due to a bomb explosion amidst a crowd of protesters in the conflict-stricken northeastern state of Borno.
On Friday, police continued to deploy tear gas against demonstrators in various areas, including the capital, Abuja, as protesters reassembled.
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According to Nigeria’s defense chief Gen. Christopher Musa, the military will step in should the looting and vandalism of public property that occurred on Thursday persist. “We will not stand by idly and watch this country be destroyed,” Musa stated to reporters in Abuja.
As of Friday, Nigerian police reported over 400 arrests related to protests. Curfews were enacted in five northern states following incidents of looting against government and public properties, yet some protesters ignored these curfews, leading to further arrests and confrontations with police.
National police chief Kayode Egbetokun indicated Thursday night that law enforcement is on high alert and might request military assistance.
People protest against the economic hardship on the streets of Lagos, Nigeria, on Friday, Aug 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
In an interview, Isa Sanusi, director of Amnesty International Nigeria, stated that the organization has verified the fatalities through independent means, including testimonies from witnesses, family members of the deceased, and legal representatives.
The demonstrations primarily focused on food shortages and allegations of mismanagement and corruption in Africa’s most populous nation. Public officials in Nigeria are among the highest paid in Africa, which stands in stark contrast to a populace grappling with poverty and hunger, despite Nigeria being a leading oil producer on the continent.
The ongoing cost-of-living crisis — the gravest in a generation — is driven by soaring inflation reaching a 28-year peak and economic policies that have diminished the value of the naira against the dollar to unprecedented lows.
Protesters, largely young individuals, carried placards, bells, branches, and the Nigerian flag, chanting slogans as they articulated their demands, which included the reinstatement of gas and electricity subsidies that had been eliminated as part of economic reforms.
Violence and looting were notably concentrated in Nigeria’s northern regions, which are severely affected by hunger and insecurity. Dozens of protesters were observed fleeing with stolen items, such as furniture and containers of cooking oil.
Police chief Egbetokun stated that officers “aimed at ensuring peaceful conduct.” However, he noted, “unfortunately, events in major cities today indicated that what unfolded was a mass uprising and looting rather than a protest.”
This assertion was challenged by human rights organizations and activists. Sanusi remarked, “Our investigations thus far reveal that security personnel at the sites where lives were lost intentionally employed deadly tactics.”
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Authorities feared that the protests, which have been gaining traction on social media, could replicate the violent demonstrations against police brutality in 2020 or lead to riots similar to the chaotic tax hike protests witnessed in Kenya the previous month.
Nonetheless, Anietie Ewang, a Nigerian researcher from Human Rights Watch, stated that the violence that ensued in certain areas “did not warrant such a heightened response” from law enforcement.
