*Pix above: Teargas everywhere
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force on Tuesday fired teargas canisters at Nigerian youths protesting against the high cost of living and severe hardship in the country, insisting there is nothing to celebrate.
Reports say that the protesters had assembled near the popular Berger roundabout in Abuja, at about 7 am, marching towards the Eagles Square,near Tinubu’s office, also in Abuja.
However, in an effort to disperse the protesters, the operatives of the NPF resorted to the use of force.
The protesters were calling on the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to immediately address the hunger and other economic crises in the nation.
This demonstration coincides with the 64th anniversary of Nigeria’s independence.
This is even as many citizens feel that this is not a moment for celebration, urging President Bola Tinubu’s administration to tackle the soaring inflation and unprecedented economic hardship facing the nation.
In Abuja, particularly, the protesters were seen gathered at the Utako area waving the Nigerian Green-White-Green flag and banners with various inscriptions such as “EndBadGovernance”, “DiasporaVoting”, “EndHighLivingCosts”, amongst others.
In Lagos, around the state capital in Ikeja, the situation was the same as youths besieged the popular Ikeja UnderBridge area, with vehicular movement at a standstill on a day already declared a public holiday by the government for the celebration of Nigeria’s independence.
Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 election, led the protest in the nation’s commercial capital.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen at the protest ground in Ikeja under-bridge, Lagos, on Tuesday, Sowore decried the continued detention of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, and others.
He also demanded the release of the protesters who were arrested during the #EndBadGovernance campaign.
“We are working together for the release. Part of the reason why we are protesting is to ensure everybody that is in detention illegally, who are being charged with false criminal offenses, including treason which carries a death penalty must be released immediately and thus extend to Nnamdi Kalu who we believed is thus persecuted by the Nigerian state because he has expressed the desire of his people to secede from Nigeria.”
“They have the right to either stay in or leave Nigeria. Our preference is that we will not completely prevent anybody from either leaving or being in Nigeria.”
He bemoaned over the state of the country, describing the country’s independence as a clog in the wheel of progress, harping on the need for a revolution to deliver the country from the called ‘internal colonialism’.
“We have called on Nigerians to exercise real independence because the Independence that was granted to Nigerians in 1960 has become a burden to the Nigeria citizens and part of the problem in 1960 is that we got flag independence, we did not get real independence, so we are transferred to white colonialists to internal colonialism.”
“We have asked Nigerians to commence the series of actions to get real independence and that starts today. We are very clear that this country needs a revolution. Nothing but revolution can liberate Nigerians from the shackles of people,” he said.
Another protestor, Adeola Ilori, expressed anguish over the state of the country, saying the country’s independence is void of celebration
“I don’t have anything to celebrate. If I am celebrating I won’t be here. I am here to identify with my people to let them know that we can change things,” he said.
