Nigerian police have fired live bullets and tear gas to try and disperse thousands of protesters in the northern city of Kano rallying against the rising cost of living.
Demonstrations are taking place in major cities across the country with some protesters chanting: “We are hungry.
In Kano, which has seen the largest crowds so far, the gunshots were fired after protesters set alight tyres to make a bonfire in front of the state governor’s house. Four wounded people have been taken to hospital.
The protests have been organised via social media and inspired by the recent success protesters in Kenya who forced the government to scrap plans to increase taxes. Officers have also sprayed hot water on the crowds in Kano, but they remain on the streets.
On Wednesday night, a court ordered that protesters in the capital, Abuja, to keep to the National stadium, which is located on the city’s outskirts.
But after gathering at the stadium’s gate on Thursday morning, the demonstrators - who have also been shouting the refrain “End bad governance” - began heading into the city centre.
This prompted police to fire tear-gas cannisters to try and stop the procession, which is affecting traffic. Many of Abuja’s businesses, including banks, are closed.
The security forces are deployed at strategic locations within the capital and in surrounding towns. In Lagos, Nigeria’s economic hub, shops are also closed - like elsewhere in the country - and the protest is slowly growing in strength. They are making their way to the area of Ojota, where the government said the protesters could gather, and have been shouting "ole", meaning "thief" in the Yoruba language - in reference to President Bola Tinubu and his government.
Many are angered by President Tinubu’s removal of a subsidy on fuel - announced with immediate effect during his inauguration speech in May 2023.
It was aimed at cutting government expenditure, but sent pump prices soaring with a ripple effect on other goods. “Top on our demand is the subsidy removal. The government should reverse that decision,” Abuja protester Abiodun Sanusi told the BBC. They also want the government to carry out wide-ranging reforms to the country’s electoral system and the judiciary.
Dabiraoluwa Adeyinka, an activist who is protesting in Lagos, said the aim of the demonstration was to get the price hikes on essential commodities reversed. “If they don’t yield, we will continue to protest,” she told the BBC
This protest is gaining a lot of momentum across the country, especially in the north.
Northern youths are the ones leading this protest for now, our people in the south should all join the protest in coming days or continue making noise on social media forever.
Enough of lamentation online, it's time for action
At early hours of today Thursday, hundreds of protesters in Gusau the capital of Zamfara state, mostly young children of 15 to 20 years stormed Gusau Government House Seeking Government to provide food and end poverty in Nigeria.
Some protesters along Dallatu area of Gusau also blocked the main street linking to Sabuwar Kasuwa refusing motorists to pass by and calling for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to return back fuel subsidy, and open boarders to allow food items to the country.
Speaking to our Correspondent, one of the protesters of about 17 years who gave his name as Abdullahi Dalibi, said they are protesting to depend their right and the right of their future.
According to him, the current leaders in the country are not depending the interest of the masses in the country but only know themselves and their relatives.
When our Correspondent goes round other areas inside Gusau, children were only observed playing football while security agents that were beeped off are going round the streets to ensure the protection of lives and properties for a possible break out of law by protesters.Protesters going round the streets in Gusau
This region has never known peace from generation to generation, we can argue from now till tomorrow about the conflict in the middle east and who is at fault and who is not
Some of you have resorted to name calling just to silence your opponent, I believe political and diplomatic solution is needed right now before things turn ugly, dialogue is better than the use of force
All the parties involved in this conflict should come together and embrace peace, acknowledge each other's right and freedom
Vieira, 22, and her teammate Gabriel Santos were reprimanded after leaving the Olympic Village "without authorization" on Friday, July 26, per a news release shared by the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) on Sunday, July 28.
"COB received a statement this Saturday, the 27th, from the Head of the Brazilian Swimming Team, Gustavo Otsuka, informing that swimmers Ana Carolina Vieira and Gabriel Santos committed acts of indiscipline," the release read.
"With this, in agreement with the members of the Technical Committee of the sport, with the Head of the Team and with the Brazilian Confederation of Aquatic Sports (CBDA), the COB decided to punish the two athletes for having left the Olympic Village without authorization during the night of last Friday," the release added.
In addition to leaving the village, COB also confirmed Vieira had "contested" a "technical decision made by the Brazilian Swimming Team committee" in a "disrespectful and aggressive manner," the release continued.
"Therefore, athlete Gabriel Santos was punished with a warning and athlete Ana Carolina Vieira, with the penalty of dismissal from the delegation. She will return to Brazil immediately," the release concluded.
"Athlete Ana Carolina Vieira committed two distinct acts of indiscipline: one was leaving the Olympic Village without the consent of the Technical Committee; and another aggressively and disrespectfully challenged the Technical Committee's lineup for the qualifiers for the women's 4x100m relay," a BOC spokesperson confirmed to PEOPLE.
Per Reuters, the outing was discovered after the pair posted about it on social media. According to The Guardian, Santos, 28, is Vieira's boyfriend.
Head of the Brazilian Swimming Team Otsuka said, per Reuters, "We're not here playing or taking a vacation ... We're here working for Brazil, for the 200 million taxpayers who are working for us."
"We can't play around here. She took a completely inappropriate position to make her point, her dismay, about the formation of the relay," Otsuka continued.
"It was during this period that we decided to take this situation to the disciplinary committee, discussed it and took the appropriate action. We ended up finding out through the posts," he concluded.
UK-based Nigerians have begun the #EndBadGovernance protest, which will be replicated across Nigeria from August 1 to 10.
Protesters assembled at the Nigeria High Commission in London on Wednesday, displaying placards with slogans like "Nigeria's economy at an all-time low", "Nigeria needs saving", and "Protect citizens' rights", to voice their concerns about the country's governance and demand change.
Omoyele Sowore, the convener of #RevolutionNow had released a list of demands from Nigerians to President Bola Tinubu's administration, aimed at addressing the country's governance challenges. The demands, posted on Sowore's social media account, are a result of inputs from Nigerians participating in the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria campaign.
The demands include: “Scrap the 1999 Constitution and replace it with a People-made CONSTITUTION for the Federal Republic of Nigeria through a Sovereign National Conference to be immediately followed by a National Referendum.
“Toss the Senate arm of the Nigerian Legislative System, keep the House of Representatives (HOR), and make lawmaking a part-time endeavour.
“Pay Nigerian Workers a minimum wage of nothing less than N250,000 monthly.
“Invest heavily in education and give Nigerian students grants, not loans. Aggressively pursue free and compulsory education for children across Nigeria.
“Release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally and demilitarize the South East.
“Renationalise publicly owned enterprises sold to government officials and cronies.
“Reinstate a corruption-free subsidy regime to reduce hunger, starvation and multidimensional poverty.
“Probe past and present Nigerian leaders who have looted the treasury, recover their loot, and deposit it in a special account to fund education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
“Restructuring of Nigeria to accommodate Nigeria’s diversity, resource control, decentralisation and regional development.”
Good for them, these are the people working against the progress of this country
These unpatriotic folks will collect money to vote bad politicians during elections, they will still collect bribe to sabotage the efforts of well meaning Nigerians during protests even though they are also going through hell, what's wrong with our people in Nigeria
Tinubu Govt Hired Us For Rally To Say 'No To Protests,’ Abandoned Us Later With No Water, Food Or Money –Pro-APC Campaigner
SaharaReporters had reported that over 400 Nigerian women were hired by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders to hold a rally against the planned nationwide protest.
A group of women reportedly hired by President Bola Tinubu's government for a counter-protest against the planned #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest have complained that they were abandoned after being used by the government.
SaharaReporters had reported that over 400 Nigerian women were hired by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders to hold a rally against the planned nationwide protest.
SaharaReporters gathered that some influential women leaders in the APC sent a circular to several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Abuja, asking them to mobilise 50 women each to Eagle Square, Abuja to be given 50kg bag of rice each as palliative.
However, after over 400 women were mobilised from various NGOs to Abuja, rather than get bags of rice as promised them, they were given banners saying, “Say No To Protest”.
They said their pictures were taken to make it look like they were not for the planned nationwide protest against hardship. Thereafter, they were left with neither rice nor transport fare as promised.
The circular sent to the NGOs on Friday and forwarded to SaharaReporters by a member of African Youth Union Commission, Esther Adelana, read, “URGENT: Good day distinguished young active citizens, please if you are in Abuja and can make your way to Eagle Square tomorrow Saturday 9am for palliative distribution by one of our partner accompanied with transport logistics. We need fifty young women.”
In multiple viral videos, some women confirmed SaharaReporters’ findings, saying that the APC and Tinubu’s government deceived them and left them stranded in Abuja after they were being used
One of them said, “We were deceived into coming to Abuja for an empowerment rally only to be given placards for ‘Say No To Protest’. They didn’t give us water to drink, no food, no money. They left us stranded.”
“We were called by Tinubu that we would be empowered to oppose the planned protest. We came and we were abandoned in Abuja,” she added.
tctrills: I am sure you are mourning your lost warrior. Anyway, don't miss him too much, he is with his 70 virgins. Hamas must be regretting their actions in October 07. I wonder if they thought Israel was going to let it go.
obedience4: intel are usually shared between the two organisations, i don't tjink the CIA would be involved because the white House have been trying not escalated the tensions in the middle-east, killing apolitical figure in Iranian territory is a massive risk to escalation.
When it comes to Iran and the middle-east Mossad will have more intelligence than the guys in Langley, Iran and the Middle east his mossad backyard.
America is still supplying israel with all the weapons to prosecute this conflict even though they don't want escalation in the region according to the white house, forget all the harsh rhetoric from Washington, they will say one thing and do another thing.
obedience4: Mossad have been carrying out coverts operations since time in memorial, since the Munich attacks against Jewish athletes, Mossad has become the reference point to coverts killings.
agreed, but they are working with CIA, most of their Intel is from CIA
In a statement released on Wednesday, Hamas said Haniyeh was killed in an Israeli raid on his residence in Tehran.
According to the group, Haniyeh died after participating in the inauguration ceremony of the new Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian who was sworn in on Tuesday.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps said the cause of the "incident" was not immediately clear but was "being investigated", AFP news agency reported.
Haniyeh, 62, was a prominent member of the Hamas movement in the late 1980s.
Israel imprisoned Haniyeh for three years in 1989 as it cracked down on the first Palestinian uprising.
He was then exiled in 1992 to a no-man's-land between Israel and Lebanon, along with a number of Hamas leaders.
Haniyeh was appointed Palestinian prime minister in 2006 by President Mahmoud Abbas after Hamas won the most seats in national elections, but he was dismissed a year later after the group ousted Mr Abbas' Fatah party from the Gaza Strip in a week of deadly violence.
Haniyeh rejected his sacking as "unconstitutional", stressing that his government "would not abandon its national responsibilities towards the Palestinian people", and continued to rule in Gaza.
He was elected head of Hamas's political bureau in 2017.
In 2018, the US Department of State designated Haniyeh a terrorist. He had lived in Qatar for the past several years.
BALLOSKI: You seem not to know much about the situation in the country and you're repeating the little you have read.
Venezuela was doing good under Chavez and they systematically killed him because it's a socialist nation, the power that be hated him. They exposed them to sanctions, hence the economic downturn.
Maduro refused to cede power when the election didn't go his way and felt the system that wanted Chavez out are out for him, so he kept fighting.
why should he keep fighting to stay in power if venezuelans are tired of him?
Security agencies in Oyo State, on Tuesday, embarked on joint show of force in Ibadan metropolis, ahead of the planned nationwide protest.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the security agencies comprised the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Nigerian Army.
Others were: National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Correctional Service (NCos), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), and Amotekun Corps.
The show of force, which began at the Police Command headquarters, Eleyele, took the security personnel to Mokola roundabout, Oyo State Government Secretariat, Agodi-Gate, Iwo Road, Bodija, and Challenge, among others.
Briefing newsmen on the reason for the exercise, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ayodele Sonubi, said that it was to create awareness to members of the public on the readiness of security personnel toward the planned protest.
Sonubi said that the exercise was also to ensure that the state remained peaceful, as it had always been, and to protect the lives and property of law abiding citizens before, during, and after the protest.
He said that the security agencies in the state were not averse to people venting their anger by way of peaceful protest, adding that they had the right to protest without infringing on the rights of others.
“It is not your right to coerce others to join the protest.
“Nobody, including the security agencies, have the right to stop peaceful protest. Our right is to protect peaceful protesters and their property.
“But the moment it turns violent, we have the right to lead and bring orderliness,” he said.
The police commissioner stated that Nigerians had witnessed many protests, noting that while some were peaceful, others were bloody, especially the 2020 EndSARS protest.
According to him, government was neither blind nor deaf, adding that it was aware of the challenges faced by Nigerians and had taken steps to address them.
He said that security agencies, as Nigerians, were also faced with the same challenges being experiencing by other citizens, calling on everyone to tread with caution in the interest of peace and progress of the country.
Sonubi said that in as much as the citizens had the right to protest, the police and other security agencies in the state would not tolerate violent protest.
He said that the security agencies, being the agents of government being paid with taxpayers’ money to protect the citizens, would act appropriately to ensure orderliness, if the protest should assume a violent dimension. (NAN)
We say No to Bad governance in Nigeria, enough of suffering and smiling.
I call on well meaning Nigerians to come out on the 1st of August without any fear to express their displeasure and dissatisfaction with this government, but make it peaceful
Ahead of the planned August 1-10 protest, a solitary demonstrator, Nurudeen Yusuf, has taken to the streets in Adamawa State, kicking off the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria demonstration.
Yusuf, who described himself as a frustrated Nigerian, was spotted at the Government House gate with a placard demanding the return of fuel subsidies, among other things.
In an exclusive interview with SaharaReporters, Yusuf, from Gombi Local Government Area, expressed his discontent with Nigeria's leadership, citing bad governance as the country's major plague.
Yusuf's protest route started at the Jimeta Ultra Modern Market, from where he proceeded along Bank Road, culminating at the Government House gate, where he held up his placard for all to see.
"I'm determined to join the planned protest because our country is being badly managed; that's why I started ahead of time, hoping to ‘ginger’ (encourage) those who may have been intimidated by the authorities,” Yusuf said while brandishing a placard.
"They think they can scare us into silence, but they're making a big mistake. If they want to fire live bullets at protesters let them go ahead because our current condition is not really better than those of dead people.”
The placard, bearing the heading ‘My Demands’, lists the following demands: national security, restoration of fuel subsidy, electricity subsidy, improved naira value, affordable education and accessible healthcare.
The #EndBadGovernance protest is scheduled for August 1-10 and it is aimed at drawing the government’s attention to the economic crisis, hardship, worsening hunger and poverty, and other issues linked to bad governance in the country.
Politics › Re: Shots Fired As Nigeria Cracks Down On 'hunger' Protests by God1000(op): 8:00pm On Aug 01, 2024*. Modified: 9:29am On Aug 02, 2024
