CITIZENS COMPASS–Despite the presence of armed security operatives on Tuesday, the much envisaged October 1, protests was peacefully held in Lagos and some other parts of Nigeria with a message to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to end the sufferings being experienced by many Nigerians.
Venue was Ikeja Underbridge where the protesters gathered in their numbers.
This did not disrupt human and vehicular activities across the State.
Many of the protesters said this was their own way of protesting hunger and hardship in Nigeria.
As early as midnight, a large number of security operatives surrounded the venue to forestall the unforseen.
At dawn, the newly deployed Commissioner of Police in the State, Olanrewaju Ishola, lead his team to monitor the protests as the protesters arrived at the venue chanting solidarity songs, displaying placards bearing inscriptions like “Reverse electricity tariff now”, “End all attacks on democratic rights”, “Reduce petrol price to N197 per litre; end scarcity”, and “Profit soars while people suffer.”
This was led by some civil society organisations including the Take It Back Movement, the Education Rights Campaign, the Coalition for Revolution, and the Socialist Workers League.
Tagged the #FearlessOctober1, the organisers said the demonstration was a continuation of the #Endbadgovernance protest, which took place from August 1 to 10.
They added that the latest demonstration was necessitated by the failure of the Federal Government to address their demands, which include hunger in the land, the rising cost of hunger, insecurity, government wastefulness, electoral reforms, and human capital development amongst others.
The protest was the second between August and October 2024.
Similar protests were held in Gombe, Edo, Ondo, Oyo,Plateau, Ogun and some other states across Nigeria.
Some of the protesters were said to be arrested in Jos, the capital of Plateau State but were later released.
Reacting, the Take It Back Movement on its X Handle said, “Comrades illegally arrested during the #FearlessInOctober protest in Jos earlier today have been released. We remain committed to advocating for justice and good governance in Nigeria.
“The current situation demands collective action to end suffering and injustice. Every voice, every effort counts in creating a better future.”
