SOME members of different Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have taken to the streets of Lagos, Edo and Osun states to protest against the worsening economic crises in the country.
The protesters who held placards with different inscriptions bemoaned the daily increase in prices of goods and the cost of living.
In Lagos, the protesters under the umbrella of a human rights group, ‘Take It Back Movement’, were seen under the Ojuelegba Bridge of the state to air their plights and call for prompt interventions by tiers of government in the country.
The protest was held despite the warning issued by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade.
A statement by the Lagos State Police Command spokesman, Benjamin Hundeyin, on Sunday, February 25, quoted Fayoade as warning intending protesters against actions capable of grounding commercial activities and obstructing the free flow of traffic.
Fayoade further stated that anyone found infringing on the rights of other Nigerians would be dealt with by the law.
Similarly, civil society organisations in Edo State protested against the prevailing hardship in the nation.
A video shared by Channels TV showed how the protesters in their numbers marched from Kings Square to Akpakpava Road in Benin City.
They also carried placards with different inscriptions such as “End Economic Hardship” “FG End the Hunger in Nigeria Now,” and “Tinubu End the Suffering and Hunger in Nigeria.”
Also, members of the Osun Civil Societies Coalition (OCSC) were on a peaceful protest at Nelson Mandela Park in Osogbo, Osun State.
The protesters joined other Nigerians across the other two states to call on the Federal Government and President Bola Tinubu to end the precarious economic situation in the country.
The protest in Osun came about two weeks after The ICIR reported that youths in the state staged a peaceful protest in Osogbo, condemning the rising cost of living and calling for immediate intervention by the government.
The protesters carried placards with inscriptions that read ‘Change the unfavourable policies,’ ‘Nigerians are suffering, and ‘We can’t cope again.’
The protest across the three states came on the heels of preparation for the organised labour protest scheduled to start on Tuesday, February 27.
The ICIR reported that since President Bola Tinubu announced his administration’s removal of fuel subsidy on May 29, 2023, the country has been faced with hardship and difficulties.
The announcement led to an increase in fuel pump prices. Also, it led to an astronomical rise in the cost of transportation on the different routes as commercial cab drivers transfer the astronomical rise in the cost of petrol to passengers.
Although one of the ways to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government was the disbursement of N5 billion in financial support to each state, many Nigerians have not felt the impact.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M