As the nation gears up to witness the beginning of the 10-day- hunger protest on Thursday, the safety of all during protests remains paramount. The protest, which is scheduled to be held from August 1-10 across the 36 states of the Federation, including the Federal Capital Territory, seeks to force the government to address the harsh economic realities bedevilling the populace. However, engaging in any protest requires some preparations that you must note as it’s easy to become carried away with the agitation. Therefore, in this piece, PUNCH Online highlights some key tips to stay safe before, during and after…
Author: Daily News Hub
Prices of foodstuff have again gone up in major markets across the country as Nigerians engaged in panic buying in a bid to stock their homes before the planned nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest begin today, The PUNCH reports. This comes as last-ditch moves by the Federal Government to stop the protest failed to arrest the momentum generated by the organisers, who insisted the protest would go on as planned. The protest organisers want an improvement in the soaring cost of living and a reversal of some harsh government policies, particularly the removal of petrol subsidy. The subsidy removal, along with ongoing…
A few hours before the commencement of the nationwide hunger protest, police in Lagos said its anti-bomb squad had deactivated an Improvised Explosive Device. The IED was deactivated in the Ikeja area of the state. State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the development. But he couldn’t give details of the development as of the time of filing this report. Hundeyin simply said, “Yes, it happened today.” Angered by the prevailing economic hardship in the country, Nigerian youths have scheduled a 10-day nationwide protest to commence on Thursday, August 1. Security agencies issued security alerts, urging the organisers of…
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has urged police officers to be prepared, alert and professional during the protests scheduled for August 1 to 10. Egbetokun added that the safety and security of the nation depends on the vigilance, gallantry, and readiness of officers in the police and other security agencies. According to a statement on Wednesday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, the IG spoke during a virtual meeting with senior officers. Adejobi stated that the IG reminded senior officers of their duty to uphold the rule of law, and police with the highest level of…
Ahead of the planned nationwide protest scheduled to begin on August 1, the Organised Civil Society has issued guidelines to protesters to ensure the success of the protest against hunger and hardship in the country. The guidelines, according to a statement signed by the Head, Coordinating Secretariat of the United Action Front of Civil Society, Olawale Okunniyi on Wednesday, followed a meeting with the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. The group urged protesters to be civil and orderly, and not allow anyone to provoke or distract them, from the agenda of the protest. They also urged protesters to record…
A Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, restricted protesters in the August 1 hardship protest to the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja. Justice Sylvanus Oriji issued the order while delivering a ruling on an ex-parte application brought before the court by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and argued by Ogwu Onoja. Wike argued that the Federal Government was not opposed to the protest. But he noted that intelligence and security reports indicated that some elements within the leadership of the protesters intended to use the protest to cause havoc, damage public facilities, block roadways and…
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has stated that the state will not allow the 2020 #EndSARS protest to repeat itself. Sanwo-Olu disclosed this while appealing to the anti-hunger protest organisers who have stood their ground to demonstrate the economic hardship faced by Nigerians since the beginning of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. In an address to Lagosians on Wednesday, the governor noted that the 10-day protest cannot achieve what economic reforms can in weeks and months while citing the destruction of valuables as losses the state is still counting. He said, “Reflecting on the tragic events of the EndSARS protest in…
Umar Faruk, Gusau Former Zamfara Governor, Sen. Abdul’Aziz Yari has urged the residents of the state to shun the planned nationwide protest billed to start on August 1st. Yari, who addressed an unprecedented crowd at his country home, Talata Mafara, stated that nationwide protest will have serious negative effects and capable of causing anarchy in the country. He said the presidency of Bola Ahmad Tinubu means well for the citizens and ever ready to effect correction where necessary. “We have seen what happened to other countries as a result of such protest, so we shall be very cautious not to…
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has come under heavy criticism for taunting those calling for protest over the economic hardship in the country. Nigerians, many of them young people, have called for demonstrations from August 1 over soaring costs. Living costs spiked in Nigeria after President Bola Tinubu ended the fuel subsidy and eased foreign exchange controls after coming to power in May last year. Inflation hit record levels at 34.19 per cent in June, with food inflation more than 40.87 per cent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Speaking at an event organised by the Niger Delta Development Commission…
Over 25,000 police operatives and other security personnel have been deployed in strategic flashpoints in Kaduna. This is to ensure strict compliance with public order during the nationwide protest in the state. On Wednesday, the Kaduna State Police Command in collaboration with the armed forces and other security agencies, launched a confidence-building show of force operation across the metropolis. State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansir Hassan, disclosed in a statement. Hassan stated that the aim of the operation was to deter individuals with malicious intent from engaging in any form of violence during the upcoming protest. The PPRO further…