Africa (Commonwealth Union) _ Mass protests against Nigeria’s deepening economic crisis turned deadly as security forces clashed with demonstrators, resulting in at least nine fatalities, a rights group reported on Friday. A police officer was also killed, and the military has threatened intervention to prevent further violence.
In the conflict-ridden northeastern state of Borno, a bomb explosion on Thursday killed four people and injured 34 others amidst the protests. The police continued to use tear gas to disperse protesters, who regrouped in various locations, including the capital, Abuja.
Nigeria’s defense chief, Gen. Christopher Musa, stated that the military would step in if looting and destruction of public property persisted. “We will not fold our arms and allow this country to be destroyed,” Musa declared in a press briefing in Abuja.
By Friday, over 400 protesters had been arrested, according to the Nigerian police. Curfews were imposed in five northern states following the looting of government and public properties, but protesters defied these orders, leading to further arrests and clashes.
National police chief Kayode Egbetokun indicated that the police are on high alert and may request military assistance. Amnesty International’s Nigeria director, Isa Sanusi, confirmed the death toll, citing independent verification from witnesses, victims’ families, and lawyers.
The protests are driven by widespread food shortages and accusations of government mismanagement and corruption in Africa’s most populous country. Despite being a leading oil producer, Nigeria is home to some of the world’s poorest and hungriest people, while its public officials are among the highest paid in Africa.
The current cost-of-living crisis, the worst in a generation, is exacerbated by skyrocketing inflation, now at a 28-year high, and economic policies that have devalued the local currency to record lows against the dollar. Protesters, predominantly young, carried placards, bells, tree branches, and the Nigerian flag, demanding the reinstatement of gas and electricity subsidies that were removed as part of economic reforms.
Violence and looting were most intense in Nigeria’s northern states, which are severely affected by hunger and insecurity. Protesters were seen running off with looted items, including furniture and cooking oil. Egbetokun stressed that police efforts aimed to ensure peaceful protests but lamented that some events indicated a move towards mass uprising and looting rather than peaceful protest.
Human rights groups and activists disputed the police chief’s claims. “Our findings so far show that security personnel at the locations where lives were lost deliberately used tactics designed to kill,” stated Sanusi. Authorities fear the protests, gaining momentum on social media, could mirror the deadly 2020 End SARS demonstrations against police brutality or the recent violent protests in Kenya over a tax hike.
Anietie Ewang, a Nigerian researcher with Human Rights Watch, argued that the violent response from police was disproportionate to the threats posed by the protesters. “The threats that emerged as the protests turned violent in some places did not require that level of response from police officers,” Ewang said.
