Tension flared on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, when thugs stormed a protest site in Rumuokwuta, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Tension flared on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, when thugs stormed a protest site in Rumuokwuta, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The site had been chosen for the ‘FearlessInOctober’ protest, a demonstration against the deepening economic crisis in Nigeria.

Our correspondent reports that he attackers, wielding canes, declared their opposition to any protests within Rivers State. They didn’t stop there. Journalists attempting to document the scene were threatened, creating a volatile atmosphere.

Across the country, similar protests are taking place in cities like Lagos and Abuja as Nigeria marks the country’s 64th independence anniversary.

Protesters are calling on President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reverse key policies, specifically, the removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of foreign exchange rates.

These policies, demonstrators argue, are driving inflation and worsening the already difficult living conditions across the nation.