Nigerian protests: Security forces kill nine as biting economic crisis persists

ZIMSPHERE 

ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigerian security forces have killed at least nine people during mass protests against the country's economic crisis, a rights group reported on Friday.

People protest in Lagos, Nigeria, Friday 2 August, 2024 [Image: AP Photo/Sunday Alamba]

 

Authorities confirmed that a police officer was also killed, and several others were injured in the clashes.

More than 300 protesters were arrested, and curfews were imposed in five northern states following the looting of government and public properties, according to Nigerian police. 

Despite the curfews, police continued to fire tear gas at protesters as they regrouped on Friday.

National police chief Kayode Egbetokun announced that the police were on high alert and might seek military assistance. 

Amnesty International’s Nigeria director, Isa Sanusi, stated that the group independently verified the reported deaths through witnesses, victim families, and lawyers.

The protests, led primarily by young people, were driven by food shortages and allegations of mismanagement and corruption. 

Nigeria’s public officials are among the highest paid in Africa, in stark contrast to the widespread poverty and hunger in the nation, despite its status as a leading oil producer.

Protesters carried placards, bells, and Nigeria’s green-and-white flag, chanting songs and listing demands, including the reinstatement of gas and electricity subsidies that were recently canceled as part of economic reforms.

Violence and looting were concentrated in Nigeria’s northern states, severely affected by hunger and insecurity. 

Witnesses reported seeing dozens of protesters running with looted goods, including furniture and gallons of cooking oil.

Police Chief Egbetokun stated that officers aimed to ensure peaceful conduct but added, “Regrettably, events in some major cities today showed that what was being instigated was mass uprising and looting, not protest.” This claim was disputed by rights groups and activists.

“Our findings so far show that security personnel at the locations where lives were lost deliberately used tactics designed to kill,” Sanusi said.

Authorities fear the protests, which have gained momentum on social media, could mirror the deadly 2020 demonstrations against police brutality in Nigeria or resemble last month's violent tax hike protests in Kenya. 

Rights Watch researcher Anietie Ewang noted that the threats emerging from the protests did “not require that level of response” from police officers.

(with reporting from the Associated Press)