Officers of the Nigeria Police Force were stationed at the Ikeja Underbridge on Thursday, June 12, as protesters gathered to mark Nigeria’s 26th Democracy Day.
The police personnel, drawn from the Area F Division, were deployed to maintain law and order amid the growing crowd of demonstrators. According to Politics Nigeria, the officers were observed taking strategic positions as the protests began to take shape.
The demonstrators, comprising individuals and members of various civil society organisations, took to the streets to express their displeasure over the current state of the nation. They decried the rising cost of living, worsening economic conditions, and the continued spate of killings across several states.
In their words, the protesters “condemned the growing hardship and incessant killing of Nigerians,” and voiced strong opposition to several policies and reforms implemented under President Bola Tinubu’s administration since he assumed office on May 29, 2023.
Though the protest had yet to fully kick off in Lagos as of Thursday morning, reports indicate that similar demonstrations are expected to take place in other states, including Kano.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu was initially scheduled to deliver a nationwide broadcast in commemoration of Democracy Day. However, the live address was cancelled, with the presidency announcing that he would instead address a joint session of the National Assembly.
The president is now expected to speak to Nigerians from the National Assembly complex at about 12 noon on Thursday.
