Residents of Suleja, located in Niger State, Northern Nigeria, have taken to the streets to voice their dissatisfaction with the soaring cost of living prevalent across the country.
The protest, which unfolded on Wednesday, mirrors similar demonstrations recently witnessed in Minna, the state capital.
Suleja, known as a bustling commercial center and strategically situated near the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, has become a focal point for expressing grievances against economic hardships.
According to eyewitness accounts, Mr. Yazid Abubakar reported that protesters converged along Moroko Road, the town’s primary market area, brandishing placards adorned with messages demanding immediate action to address the deteriorating living conditions faced by the populace.
The placards bore inscriptions such as “Leadership is all about improving the life of the masses” and “Nigerians are suffering, stop the hardship now,” underscoring the urgency of the situation and the collective outcry for relief measures.
The protest follows a similar demonstration in Minna just days prior, where women and youths rallied along the Kpagungu axis of Minna-Bida Road, decrying hunger and the relentless rise in the cost of essential commodities.
They urged political leaders to heed their plight and implement measures to alleviate the economic burden faced by ordinary citizens.
The protest in Minna caused traffic disruptions along the busy Minna-Bida Road, a critical transportation artery linking the North-Central and South-West regions of Nigeria.
In response to the protests on Wednesday, the Niger State Police Command, under the leadership of Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, took action by apprehending 25 protesters, including Aisha Jibrin, the alleged initiator of the demonstrations.
The earlier protest forced President Bola Tinubu to order a food intervention to check the shortage of food in the country.
