Breaking: Hunger protest begins in Niger

Residents of Niger State have protest against the increasing cost of living in Nigeria.

The protesters on Monday are seen protesting to show their discontent and frustration with the current economic situation.

They wielded placards such as ‘Enough is Enough’; ‘Stop Anti-Masses Policies’; ‘We Are Not Slaves In Our Country’; ‘Hardship Is Unbearable’, ‘Fuel Subsidy Must Be Back’, among others.

The demonstrators paraded through the streets, singing protest songs and chanting slogans critical of the government.

Our reporter encountered a group of protesters on the Abuja-Kaduna expressway and tried to engage them in an interview, but they refused to comment.

The Federal and State governments had made several efforts to stop the protest, saying it could be hijacked by hoodlums and enemies of democracy.

Last week, Governor Mohammed Bago had wooed residents of Niger with welfare packages to prevent the protest.

He had announced a N20,000 wage allowance for state and local government civil servants, ordered the immediate release of 50,000 metric tonnes of assorted grains to be sold at subsidised rates to mitigate the current economic hardship.

“We have over 100,000 metric tonnes of food in our reserves, out of which we will be releasing 50,000 metric tonnes to be sold at 50% of its present price. Before the end of the year, we will slash food prices by 90%,” he had said at a townhall meeting.

In a gesture of gratitude for their tireless efforts in fighting banditry, insurgency, and other criminal activities, the governor announced a reward of a Toyota Prado Jeep for each head of the state’s security agencies, recognizing their dedication and service.

More details later…