The air in Abuja felt heavy. The usually bustling streets were eerily quiet, and the usually vibrant markets were subdued. Traders’ faces were etched with worry, and customers reciprocated with cautious glances.

It was a stark contrast to the usual Independence Day festivities, where the city would be alive with the flag’s colours, the joyful chatter of children headed to the stadium for parades, and the festive spirit that filled the air.

Kristina Reports ventured into the community to gauge public sentiment about the Independence Day celebrations.

Several residents expressed their disappointment with the subdued atmosphere, noting that it was a stark contrast to the joyous celebrations they expected and shared their thoughts on the potential reasons behind the somber mood.

Christiana Idoko, a trader at the Wuse market stated that she did not expect much from this year’s celebration because of the hardship that the citizens have experienced over the past few months. According to her, there is not much to celebrate as people are barely trying to get by.

‘There is no need to spend time and money celebrating the independence of a country were the leaders don’t care about us.

It is better that we just stay inside and manage the small money that we have because who knows, a bag of rice might be 100,000 Naira by December’

John, a civil servant shared the same sentiment but added that the threat of protests was also the reason why the streets were deserted.

According to him, citizens are scared for their lives as the last two protests that have been held in recent times did not end well.

‘There was a rumour of a protest that was going to happen, so apart from the fact that it is a public holiday, that is why there are very few vehicles and people on the rad.

People are scared for their lives, because after the Endsars protest that happened in 2020 and the one that happened in August, nobody wants to die for Nigeria again o.’

Despite the President’s stern warning against protests, threatening those who participated with the charge of treason punishable by death, the demonstration proceeded.

Nigeria Police dispersed the protesters using tear gas, leading to further tensions and increased resistance from the crowd.