On Monday, residents, predominantly youths and women, embarked on a protest in Minna, Niger State, expressing their discontent with the prevalent economic challenges and the escalating cost of living in the country.
The demonstration commenced with a group of women blocking the Minna-Bida Road at the popular Kpakungu Roundabout, vocalizing their grievances against what they perceive as hardship under the administration of Bola Tinubu. The protest gained momentum as more men and youths joined, disrupting vehicular movement.
The morning protest saw some youths expressing their concerns in the Hausa language, lamenting the deteriorating state of the country’s economy under the leadership of Ahmed Tinubu.
Efforts by the police to intervene and disperse the protesters proved futile, with the youths asserting that the police were acting as agents of the government and incapable of addressing their grievances.
Ibrahim Gana, one of the protesting youths, voiced the economic challenges faced by the people, stating, “Rice was sold at the cost of N2,000 at Minna markets while maize was N1,000 per module (measure). The Federal Government needs to take action to reduce the hardship being faced by the poor Nigerians. Things are becoming unbearable.”
Attempts to arrest some of the protesters were met with resistance, leading to a confrontation between the youth and law enforcement. Teargas was deployed by the police to disperse the crowd, but the protest persisted despite these efforts.
Wasiu Abiodun, the spokesman for the Niger State Command, commented on the situation, noting that the police had to use minimum force to disperse the protesters. He mentioned that the road was eventually opened after efforts to persuade the protesters proved unsuccessful, leading to a return to normal traffic flow.”