Protesters on Tuesday morning gathered at the Ikeja Underbridge in Lagos to mark Nigeria’s 2024 Independence Day with a demonstration against the economic hardship facing the country.
NaijaOnPoint.com.ng (NOP) reports that the protest, organized under the banner #FearlessOctober1, held despite the heavy presence of security enforcement.
Security personnel at the scene include police officers, members of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, and officials from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Leading the police contingent is the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olanrewaju Ishola, who is overseeing the demonstration closely.
Protesters, chanting solidarity songs, held placards with messages such as “Reverse electricity tariff now,” “End all attacks on democratic rights,” “Reduce petrol price to ₦197 per litre; end scarcity,” and “Profit soars while people suffer.”
Meanwhile, in Abuja, Protesters gathered at early as 7 a.m., at the bustling Utako market in the Utako district of the FCT, where the demonstration is currently in full swing.
Director of Mobilisation for the Take It Back Movement, Damilare Adenola, expressed deep concern over the economic difficulties in the country, which he attributed to the policies of the Federal Government.