Chaos erupted in Abuja’s busy Utako market on Tuesday morning when police officers fired teargas at a #FearlessInOctober group of peaceful protesters. The demonstrators gathered to discuss the day’s planned events, were caught off-guard as clouds of teargas filled the air, dispersing the crowd.
The protest, organized by civil society organizations (CSOs) under the #FearlessInOctober and #EndBadGovernance movement, aims to challenge the recent hike in fuel prices, soaring food costs, and crippling inflation that has left millions of Nigerians struggling to survive.
Damilare Adenola, the director of mobilization for the Take It Back Movement, confirmed the incident, saying that despite the police’s heavy-handed response, the protesters plan to regroup and continue their demonstration.
“We will not be silenced. This is just the beginning. The government must listen to the cries of the people,” Adenola said.
The #FearlessInOctober and #EndBadGovernance protests, which kicked off in both Lagos and Abuja on October 1, have coincided with Nigeria’s 64th Independence Day celebrations. What should have been a day of national pride has instead become a platform for citizens to voice their frustrations over the nation’s worsening economic crisis.
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The organizers of the protests have made it clear that their demands are non-negotiable: a reversal of the fuel price hike, a reduction in food prices, and immediate action to combat the inflation that has pushed millions of Nigerians to the brink of poverty.
This latest round of demonstrations follows the #EndBadGovernance protests of August, which swept across the country and turned violent in some northern states. While the August protests were largely aimed at ending poor governance, the current wave has a sharper focus on economic hardship, with citizens feeling the pinch from skyrocketing living costs.
Despite warnings from security agencies, protesters in Lagos and Abuja are refusing to back down, and the #EndBadGovernance movement continues to gain momentum on social media.
