On Tuesday, police officers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, fired teargas at demonstrators during the #FearlessOctober protest, which was held to voice concerns over rising poverty and economic hardship in Nigeria.
The protest saw many Nigerians in both Abuja and Lagos State taking to the streets in the morning to express their frustrations with the current state of the economy under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. According to reports from SaharaReporters, law enforcement officials were seen firing teargas and live ammunition at the peaceful protesters, causing chaos in parts of the Jabi and Utako districts as demonstrators fled for safety.
In Lagos, protesters assembled at the Ikeja Underbridge as part of the #FearlessOctober1 movement, marking Nigeria’s 2024 Independence Day with a call to action against the ongoing economic challenges. Despite a heavy security presence, the protest remained peaceful, with demonstrators chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards with messages such as “Reverse electricity tariff now,” “End all attacks on democratic rights,” “Reduce petrol price to ₦197 per litre,” and “Profit soars while people suffer.”
Security forces, including officers from the police, the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), were deployed in large numbers to monitor the protest. Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olanrewaju Ishola, personally supervised the situation.
Several civil society groups, such as the Take It Back Movement, Education Rights Campaign, Coalition for Revolution, and Socialist Workers League, played a significant role in organizing the protest, which is the second major demonstration in as many months. Nigerians continue to express growing discontent over the worsening economic conditions.
