The Inspector General has placed all police units in Nigeria on high alert, amid potentially escalating protest activity that has already resulted in three confirmed fatalities. There may also be recourse to military reinforcement, if deemed necessary. However, according to Isa Sanusi, the director of Amnesty International for Nigeria, the death count stands at 14, as verified by independent accounts from witnesses, legal representatives, and bereaved families.
Despite the instances of violence and looting, particularly in capital city Abuja and northern city Kano, Friday morning saw relative calm return. The expectation though is that ongoing protests are likely. Expressing his readiness to deal with any escalating menace to safety and public order, Kayode Egbetokun declared that the police is fully equipped and ready to astutely react to evolving circumstances, with possible support from supplementary security forces, including the army.
Following the lead of Kenyan youth protests, the Nigerian youth organised the “#EndBadGovernanceInNigeria” demonstrations online, expressing intention to continue for 10 days. The rampant inflation, currency depreciation and mounting difficulty for everyday Nigerians, all fallout from President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, have roused the protestor’s anger. Tinubu, however, contends that the pain from the reforms is regrettable albeit necessitated by a desire to set Nigeria’s economy on a steady path to prosperity.
Meanwhile, Kano, with its heavy Muslim presence and status as one of Nigeria’s most populous states, initiated a round-the-clock curfew in the aftermath of looters targeting a shop and a government complex. Similar curfews have also been implemented in some areas across three other states. Additional details have been provided by news agencies Reuters and AP.