The fears and concerns of the Nigerian leadership and stakeholders alike, have been confirmed as day one of the planned nationwide hardship protests, yesterday, turned violent in most parts of the north, claiming at least 25 lives in parts of the region. While 16 lives were lost in a Borno suicide bomber attack, six protesters were reported killed in Niger state and three in Kano. The exercise was characterised by looting and confrontation with security operatives.
But as if yielding to regional scripts, the exercise, was largely peaceful in the Southern part of Nigeria, where the Niger Delta, had earlier elected to opt out of the protest for reason that its interests were not clearly factored into reckoning.
However, while the situation in the northern Nigeria had forced the governments of Kano, Borno and Yobe States to declare curfew as part of measures to contain the monstrous situation the protests had birthed, President Bola Tinubu, in another breath, met with the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, for what was considered a situation report on Abuja and environs.
Interestingly, for Lagos, the commercial nerve centre of the country, the last minute engagement by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, where he explained the futile efforts of traveling the route of protests, was believed to have contributed to the factors that saved the state from disaster, even though some protesters flouted court orders and held rallies at undesignated places.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has announced the establishment of pro bono legal support services for protesters amid ongoing nationwide demonstrations.
At the. same time, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has reiterated the importance of maintaining a high level of alertness and professionalism within the force, saying the safety and security of the nation depended on the vigilance, gallantry, and readiness of officers in the Police and other security agencies.
Sundiatapost