A middle-aged woman, visibly distressed, participated in the EndBadGovernance protests in Lagos on Thursday, carrying an empty cooking pot as a poignant symbol of her hunger.
Accompanied by her husband, she expressed her plight in Yoruba, stating her need for food. The protest took place at Ikeja Under Bridge, with plans to march to Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota, all under heavy police presence.
The nationwide demonstrations, dubbed “Days of Rage,” were organized by the Take It Back movement to address the escalating economic hardship and food crisis in Nigeria. Protesters are demanding immediate government action to alleviate hunger and reduce the cost of living, which has surged due to inflation and the removal of fuel subsidies.
Despite government efforts to prevent the protests, including deploying security forces from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Department of State Services (DSS), crowds of demonstrators gathered in various cities, chanting slogans like “We’re hungry, don’t kill us” and calling for an end to anti-poor policies.
The protests have sparked significant unrest, with reports of police using tear gas and live ammunition in some areas, particularly in Kano, where tensions escalated into violence. The government’s attempts to quell dissent have included emergency meetings and proposed initiatives to address the rising cost of essential goods, but frustration among citizens continues to grow.
