24-Hour Curfew Imposed in Northern Nigeria Amid #EndBadGovernance Protests

Millions of residents in northern Nigeria have been placed under 24-hour curfews in response to nationwide protests against the high cost of living. Governments in the states of Kano, Jigawa, Yobe, and Katsina have ordered residents to remain indoors, preventing participation in protests scheduled for Friday.

Authorities justify the curfews by claiming “hoodlums” have hijacked the protests to loot and vandalize properties. The country has seen a heavy security presence as nine more “days of rage” have been planned by the movement’s organizers. On the first day, demonstrations in Kano drew the largest crowds, with police using live bullets, tear gas, and hot water to disperse thousands of demonstrators. Tragically, three people were shot dead, and many others were injured. Looters broke into a warehouse near the Kano governor’s house, leading to the arrest of 269 people and the recovery of stolen items, including 25-litre groundnut oil cartons.

Amnesty International reports that 13 protesters were killed by security forces across Nigeria on the first day of the protests. In Borno state, a curfew was imposed following a deadly bombing that killed 16 people and injured 20 others in the rural community of Kawori. The explosion is suspected to be the work of Boko Haram, a jihadist group active in the north-east since 2009.

Recommended Articles

Bold Stand: Nigerian Youth Begin August 1 Protest Against Bad Governance

Nigerian Sprinter Excluded from 100m at Paris Olympics Due to Negligence

The curfew in Borno was announced after protesters began marching in the state capital, Maiduguri, where police used tear gas to disperse them. Nationwide demonstrations were inspired by recent protests in Kenya that successfully pressured the government to abandon plans to increase taxes. In Abuja, tear gas was also deployed, but the protests were mostly peaceful in the south.

Protesters are particularly angered by President Bola Tinubu’s removal of a fuel subsidy, announced during his May 2023 inauguration. The removal aimed to cut government expenditure but led to a sharp increase in fuel prices, affecting the cost of other goods, including food. Demonstrators are also calling for wide-ranging reforms to Nigeria’s electoral system and judiciary.

A spokesperson for Kano’s governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, stated that while protests were largely peaceful, the curfew was necessary due to the “rampant looting, destruction of property, and violence” caused by “thugs.” Similarly, Yobe State imposed a curfew in Potiskum, Gashua, and Nguru, citing “hoodlums” exploiting the protests to vandalize and loot properties. Katsina’s government also reported that “miscreants” had “hijacked the protests.”