Thousands of aggrieved Nigerians marched in the streets of Lagos yesterday, protesting the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government of Nigeria.
The protest rally which was organized by coalition of civil society's organizations, operating under Joint Action Front (JAF), kicked off at Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Secretariat, Yaba at about 9am resulted into arrest of hundreds of protesters by the Police. The rally which later spread to other major streets of the metropolis, especially the ever-busy Ikorodu road, Ojota, Ketu, Agege, Egbeda and Iyana IPaja, brought traffic to a standstill as the aggrieved protesters barricaded the high way and set up bonfires.
At Fadeyi bus stop, hundreds of youths lined up behind an unidentified man who led an Islamic congregational prayer, reminiscent of the ones displayed by Arab protesters in the famous Arab spring. Thousands of others were seen carrying placards and banners with inscriptions such as: "We say no to fuel subsidy, "Jonathan is a fraud", "Oshiomhole is a traitor" and "Okonjo-Iwealais an agent".
At Onipanu bus stop, aggrieved youths set up bonfires with smoke overshadowing the entire area. Some tore up their cloths in anger while a group of young protesters who joined the rally along Ikorodu highway, led by Seun Anikulapo Kuti, son of the popular Afro-beat musician, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, were seen playing popular hits of the late musician, which denounced federal government actions.
But at Maryland road intersection, officers of Nigerian Police Force who were mobilized to bring sanity into the area had to resort to the use of gun shots and canisters to disperse the teeming crowd. The situation almost degenerated into serious chaos until some of the police officers were asked to stop firing shots by their superiors.
The protesters managed to regroup at the link-bridge that links Maryland to Ojota and proceeded to Gani Fawehinmi square at Ojota to round off. However, a group of irate youths capitalized on the development to disembark passengers in commercial buses who were commuting through the area at the time.
It was also observed that about three BRT buses belonging to Lagos state government were vandalized at Maryland. An eyewitness account said the buses and their drivers were attacked because protesters felt they are government properties and seemed unconcerned about the on-going protest.
At the Gani Fawehinmi Square, leaders of the protest including Comrade Abiodun Aremu, Femi Aborishade, Amitolu Shittu, Funmi Iyanda and Ganiat Fawehinmi, among others addressed the protesters.
According to Aremu, the action of the federal government can be described as a back-stab to Nigerian masses. He however said the Lagos street protest was just the beginning of several others that would come up in other parts of the country. He also said that more coordinated rallies alongside Labour and trade union members has been slated to take off immediately after the meeting of the union leaders coming up on Wednesday. He said plan has also been concluded to extend the protest rally to Otuoke, the home town of President Goodluck Jonathan.
"I want to urge you all to remain steadfast. We must continue to make bonfires. We must continue to barricade the roads; we must ensure that fuel is sold at the official rate of N65. And we must continue to sensitize people in our neighbourhood that this government is indeed a prodigal government. We must let the few who occupy Aso Rock today realize that they can't determine the future of millions of ordinary Nigerian masses," Aremu said.
DailyTrust