Residents of Niger State Take to the Streets to Protest Soaring Food Prices and Cost of Living

In a demonstration of discontent over the prevailing economic challenges, the youth and women of Niger State marched through the streets of Minna to protest the high cost of food and the increasing burden of living expenses.

The protest commenced when a group of women blocked Minna-Bida Road at the popular Kpakungu Roundabout, expressing their grievances about the perceived hardships under the leadership of Bola Tinubu. As the protest gained momentum, men and additional youth joined in, preventing the movement of vehicles.

The morning protest featured impassioned speeches in Hausa, with participants lamenting the worsening state of the country’s economy under the leadership of Ahmed Tinubu.

Efforts by the police to intervene were unsuccessful, with some protesters asserting that the police were acting as agents of the government and incapable of addressing their concerns. Ibrahim Gana, one of the protesting youths, highlighted the exorbitant prices of essential commodities, stating, “Rice was sold at the cost of N2,000 at Minna markets while maize was N1,000 per module (measure). The Federal Government needs to take action to reduce the hardship being faced by the poor Nigerians. Things are becoming unbearable.”

Attempts by the police to disperse the crowd and make arrests were met with resistance, as the youth repelled the officers. Passersby expressed concern about the disruptions caused by the protest, and the situation escalated when the police resorted to firing teargas to disperse the demonstrators. Despite the use of teargas, the protesters persisted in their demonstration.

Wasiu Abiodun, the spokesperson for the Niger State Command, justified the police response, stating, “After so much persuasion, they refused to open the road, even the deputy Governor, His Excellency, was there to address them; we had to use minimum force to disperse the protesters, the road was opened, and there is a free flow of traffic now.” The police asserted that they were compelled to apply minimum force to restore order and ensure the resumption of normal activities in the area.