Certain Nigerians’ plans to resume a protest against the perceived failure of governance on 1st October did not go as planned.
The #FearlessInOctober protest failed in most states; instead, solidarity marches were held in some northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Residents of Kano shunned the nationwide protest and went about with their usual businesses.
A LEADERSHIP check around the metropolis on Tuesday morning revealed that many residents remained indoors, many shops were closed, and there were fewer vehicular traffic due to fear of the unknown.
However, towards the afternoon, business and vehicular activities were not hindered as security patrol vehicles were stationed at strategic locations to prevent any breakdown of the law and order.
A commercial tricycle operator, Anas Usman, told LEADERSHIP he was reluctant to go out following the rumoured protest, but after observing that the situation was calm, he decided to go out for his daily business.
He said he did not wish to experience the August 1 protest again, as he struggled for a few days to feed his family because he had stayed indoors.
Another resident, Danlami Umar, lamented that the first protest was not fruitful; as such, there was no point in embarking on a fruitless protest while their businesses suffered.
However, he called on the government to provide a conducive environment for citizens to thrive in their businesses and various endeavours.
In Sokoto, no activities or programmes were planned for the day, so the protest was not held.
Residents were seen going about their everyday engagements with no traces of the #Endbadgovernance protest march anywhere in the state.
It would be recalled that, in preparation for the 2024 Independence Day, men of the Sokoto State Police Command, under the leadership of CP Ahmed Musa, had embarked on a show of force in collaboration with other security agencies.
This initiative was to ensure a safe and peaceful observance throughout the state; also, as part of the strategy, joint patrols and confidence-building measures were activated in the state.
Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu, in his Independence Day message to the people of the state, emphasised that collective action is the key to addressing the security challenges, including banditry, facing Sokoto and Nigeria.
Katsina State marked Nigeria’s 64th Independence Day in a subdued atmosphere, with no formal celebrations or protests. Yet, a noticeable heavy security presence was observed across key areas of the state.
Residents who went about their daily activities shared a sense of discontent, pointing to the ongoing economic hardship and food inflation affecting their ability to celebrate.
Military personnel and armed police officers were strategically deployed across Katsina, ensuring peace and stability amid rising concerns about national security. While the deployment reassured some, it highlighted the state’s prudent stance amid the day’s uncertainties.
“Everything is just the same; nothing special to mark the day,” said one resident, speaking anonymously. “We are struggling to afford necessities. How can we celebrate when there’s no food on the table?”
In Niger State, people went about their everyday businesses as there were no protests in the state as anticipated.
The state capital, Minna, and hotspots like Suleja were calm, unlike the last nationwide protest that turned violent in some areas of the state
Similarly, reports from major towns like Bida, Kontagora, New Bussa, Mokwa and others indicated that the situation was calm.
The 64th Independence anniversary celebration in the state was low-key, as Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago interacted with ordinary people, to whom he gave cash.
LEADERSHIP observed that the governor interacted informally and gave cash to labourers, hawkers and less privileged people.
It was observed that some of the beneficiaries got between N10,000 and N20,000.
Meanwhile, the secretary to the state government (SSG), Abubakar Usman, urged the people to renew their faith in Nigeria and embrace the virtues of patriotism, hard work, and peaceful coexistence.
In Lagos, the nationwide protest tagged FearlessProtest slated for October 1 kicked off early on Tuesday morning as the protesters gathered under the Ikeja Bridge to mark Nigeria’s 2024 Independence Day and call on President Bola Tinubu to address the nation’s economic challenges.
Civil society groups, including the Take-It-Back Movement, Revolution Now, and the Education Rights Campaign, organised the protest, tagged “FearlessOctober1.”
The heavy presence of law enforcement agencies, including police, soldiers, the National Security Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), did not deter the protesters, who continued their march while dancing from Ikeja Underbridge to Allen Avenue Roundabout.
The protesters, who chanted the Old National Anthem, sang solidarity songs and held placards with slogans, expressed their need to come out and exercise their right to protest.
LEADERSHIP reports that this marks the second nationwide protest in recent months due to worsening economic conditions.
Speaking at the protest ground, rights activist Hassan Taiwo Soweto said the protesters had vowed to remain nonviolent even if provoked by security forces.
Before the protest, the national coordinator of the Education Rights Campaign, Hassan Taiwo Soweto, said he and other activists were being targeted by the Police and the Directorate of State Servcies (DSS) due to their involvement in the August and October 1st End Bad Governance protests.
As part of their demand, they called for immediate government action to reduce fuel prices, relieve the high cost of living, reduce the cost of governance, implement electoral and human capital reforms, and intensify efforts to combat the widespread insecurity Nigerians are plunged into.
Meanwhile, Omoyele Sowore joined the protesters on the protest ground as they embarked on a peaceful March with policemen and other security agencies.
The organisers stressed that the protest was caused by the government’s failure to address the concerns earlier raised, which continued to push millions of Nigerians deeper into poverty.
In Edo State, the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations demanded that President Bola Tinubu’s administration restore fuel subsidies, improve security, and revert to a single legislature, among other actions.
The groups which include the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Talakawa Republic, Take it Back Movement. Faculty of Peace Organisation, said during a rally to the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council, Benin City, that the removal of fuel subsidies, insecurity, and floating of the naira had made life very difficult for Nigerians.
The coordinator of the Take It Back Movement in Edo State, Dr Lawal Haifz, said they were demanding that the government restore fuel subsidies and improve security so that farmers can go to the farm.
Haifz also bemoaned the naira’s free fall and urged the government to restore the common man’s hope.
He said, “We are here to protest the current situation in Nigeria. People are suffering. We demand the restoration of the fuel subsidy. Insecurity has made it impossible for our people to go to the farm, so you can no longer buy foodstuffs.
“We don’t need the Senate and House of Representatives simultaneously. The money spent on the two houses can go a long way to meet Nigeria’s needs. The so-called minimum wage cannot even buy a bag of rice. There is extreme hunger.” He said.
For his part, the convener of the Faculty of Peace Organization, Comrade Kelly Osunbor, said the Nigerian political class is just being wicked. He queried where the money distributed to voters during the Edo State Governorship election on September 21 came from.
“They tell us that there is no money. Where did they get the money shared to voters during the September 21 election? Just calculate the N10,000 to N20,000 distributed to voters, and they said there is no money. “These guys are just being wicked. My father hoped for a better Nigeria. He is dead now. He did not see a better Nigeria. Today, we are hoping for a better Nigeria.
“The government does not provide anything. We sink our boreholes, and the fuel God has given us freely is what they are using to punish us. Let me tell you that they are calling for revolution. If a parasite goes into its host, it will never stop eating the host until it finishes it. The Nigerian political class is like a parasite.
“They are calling for revolution, and they must get revolution. We have tried BVAS, but it has not worked. We have tried Athahiru Jega, but that one did not work. So, the only thing they will hear is revolution,” he said.
The coalition moved around King’s Square (Ring Road) to the NUJ Centre in GRA, Benin, chanting solidarity songs while bearing placards with different inscriptions, such as ‘Restore fuel subsidy’, ‘We are hungry’, and ‘ End insecurity’.
In Abuja, the nationwide protest, designated as #FearlessInOctober, faced significant challenges in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with concerns about potential arrests or confrontations with security forces.
The protest was a continuation of the #EndBadGovernance demonstrations held from August 1 to 10 to protest against Nigerians’ economic difficulties.
A small group of protesters initially gathered at the Utako market in the Utako area to kick off the demonstration but were quickly dispersed by security personnel.
In an attempt to regroup at the Federal Secretariat, they encountered extensive roadblocks and a heavy presence of armed security forces at key access points.
A security officer at the Secretariat explained that the heightened security measures were in place due to the Independence Day celebrations, which will host several dignitaries at the Villa.
At the bustling Berger roundabout, a diverse contingent of security personnel, including members of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Police, and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) was observed.
In the meantime, residents of the FCT appeared to carry on with their daily activities, seemingly untroubled by the protest.
We Took Proactive Measures Against Looters – Police
Following the use of teargas to disperse protesters on Tuesday in Abuja, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) said it was a proactive measure to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
Earlier in the day, violent clashes erupted in the Utako and Jabi areas of Abuja as protesters, demanding action over poverty and hardship, clashed with police officers.
Reacting to the report, the spokesperson of the FCT police command, SP Josephine Adeh, said, “The FCT police command is aware of the reports doing the rounds that policemen attacked protesters at Utako Market in Abuja earlier on October 1, 2024.
“The command wishes to categorically debunk the narrative, tagging it wholly false and misleading.
“Acting on intelligence, the operatives only took measures to forestall some miscreants who were taking advantage of the protest to loot shops in the market and, as a result, extended focus to them. As a responsible agency, we could not stand by and allow traders to be robbed of their hard-earned money and belongings without intervening.
“We therefore urge the populace to disregard such misleading and mischievous information, as the command is committed to ensuring the populace’s safety in exercising their civil rights.”
