On Tuesday, police officers used teargas to disperse demonstrators during the “Fearless In October” protest in Abuja, Nigeria, which was organized in response to widespread dissatisfaction with governance.
The protesters had assembled in the Utako area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), waving Nigeria’s Green-White-Green flag and holding banners with various slogans such as “End Bad Governance,” “Diaspora Voting,” and “End High Living Costs.” However, the protest was interrupted by the police, who resorted to teargas to disperse the crowd.
The protest, held on October 1, 2024, was heavily promoted on social media under the hashtag #FearlessInOctober. It came two months after the similar #EndBadGovernance protests that took place in August. Both movements share common themes, with discontented youth demanding the reversal of policies such as the removal of the petrol subsidy and the increase in electricity tariffs.
One particularly striking image from the event showed protesters carrying a large Nigerian flag, running for safety after police fired teargas. The protestors were driven by frustration with the government’s economic policies, which they claim are responsible for escalating inflation and the rising cost of living and energy.
Critics have pointed fingers at President Bola Tinubu’s policies, specifically the removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of exchange rates, as key contributors to the economic challenges facing the country. Since Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, energy costs have surged dramatically. Petrol prices per litre skyrocketed from around N200 to over N1,000, and electricity tariffs have increased fourfold, severely affecting both the manufacturing sector and household finances.
In his Independence Day address on October 1, 2024, marking Nigeria’s 64th anniversary, President Tinubu acknowledged the economic hardships caused by his reforms and asked Nigerians for patience.
He assured the public that his administration was working to recalibrate its economic policies to improve the situation for ordinary citizens.
Tinubu expressed sympathy for those struggling with the high cost of living but emphasized that measures were being put in place to address the rising prices and ease the burden on Nigerians.
