Ebun Adegboruwa, a senior lawyer and member of the team engaging with the Nigerian Police Force to ensure that the nationwide protests are conducted peacefully, has charged Nigerians to continue with protest, berating Nigerian police for provoking protesters to spark violence on Thursday.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Mr Adegboruwa commended Nigerians for hitting the streets in large numbers, regardless of their religious and ethnic differences, to express their displeasure over heightened economic hardships under President Bola Tinubu’s watch.

“The situation has so far been largely peaceful, especially in Lagos and Abuja. Pockets of skirmishes in some parts of the nation were said to be due mainly to the provocation of the security agencies. Notwithstanding that, the protests were largely successful, well coordinated and on target,” Mr Adegboruwa said.

While commending the organisers of the nationwide protests, Mr Adegboruwa charged Nigerian authorities to “urgently identify and hold accountable any police or law enforcement officer that may have been found culpable to violate the rights of the peaceful protesters, especially in locations where it has been reported that protesters were wounded and shot dead.”

The protests saw economic and commercial activities disrupted as Nigerians match across the country, in Abuja, Bauchi, Kaduna, Port Harcourt, Niger, Plateau, Nasarawa, Oyo, Jigawa, Kano and other states. 

Peoples Gazette reported that not less than 11 persons were killed on the first day of nationwide protests over severe economic hardships worsened by the cost of living crisis.  In some states, thugs hijacked the protests to loot and destroy public properties. 

Citing sources in telcos companies, The Gazette reported that the NCC and NSA are hampering internet speed across the country in order to suppress information flow from the protesters to other Nigerians and the outside world.

Human rights organisation, Amnesty International, said, “The Nigerian authorities must ensure that security agencies respect and facilitate the right to peaceful protest. Government officials must also refrain from issuing rhetoric to demonise protesters and stifle peaceful dissent.”