Protesters in Abuja on Thursday
Protest has commenced in the Federal Capital Territory to demonstrate against rising hardship and insecurity in the country.
Security agencies had earlier deployed heavily armed personnel to strategic locations across the city, including potential protest hotspots.
The presence of operatives was particularly noticeable at major junctions and the national Assembly, among other places where the protesters could have gathered.
However, the protest, which coincides with Nigeria’s Democracy Day, commenced in the Apo area of Abuja, where demonstrators were seen chanting solidarity songs and waving placards to express their grievances.
Protesters at Ikeja bridge
Protesters under the #EndBadGovernance Movement gathered early Thursday morning at Awolowo Road, beside the Ikeja bridge in Lagos, to begin a protest marking Democracy Day.
The demonstrators began assembling as early as 7:30 a.m. to protest what they described as “the absence of genuine democracy in Nigeria and the hunger, hardship, and gross inequality” under President Bola Tinubu’s two-year-old administration.
As of 8:53 a.m., the protesters had yet to commence their procession.
However, PREMIUM TIMES observed a heavy deployment of police and other security personnel around the protest site.
The protest comes amid tensions between the organisers and the Lagos State Police Command over security arrangements.