On Thursday morning, police used tear gas to disperse defiant #EndBadGovernance protesters at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos.
The tollgate, which has become a symbol of civil demonstrations since the #EndSARS protests against police brutality in 2020, was initially quiet as protesters took to the streets in various parts of Nigeria to protest against hunger and hardship.
However, around 11 a.m., a group of protesters gathered at the Lekki Tollgate, holding placards expressing their dissatisfaction with the administration of President Bola Tinubu. Chanting solidarity songs, the demonstrators voiced their concerns about the country’s widespread hunger and called on the government to take swift action. “We just want the country to be stable. People are hungry. People are dying. We are not coming to fight; we only want the government to do something,” one female protester said.
A heavy presence of security personnel, including police officers, soldiers, members of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency, was observed at the iconic tollgate. The security agents informed the protesters, predominantly youths, of a court order restricting their gathering to Gani Fawehinmi Park in Ojota and Peace Park in Ketu, both located in Lagos’s mainland area.
Despite the order, the group of youths refused to relocate and continued their demonstration at the tollgate until they were dispersed by police tear gas.
Promoted through social media, the nationwide protests against economic hardship began on Thursday, August 1, 2024, and are scheduled to continue until August 10 across all states of the Federation, including the capital, Abuja. In recent months, the prices of food and basic commodities have soared, as Nigerians face one of the worst inflation rates and economic crises in the country’s history, exacerbated by the government’s removal of petrol subsidies and unification of forex windows.
The police, military, and Department of State Services had warned against protests similar to those in Kenya. Despite appeals from politicians concerned that the planned rallies might mirror the EndSARS demonstrations of October 2020, the youths remained undeterred.