President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria on Sunday defended his economic reforms in a nationwide television broadcast. While revealing that he heard “loud and clear” the demands of protesters, he appealed for protests to end after “bloodshed” during three days of demonstrations over a deepening cost of living crisis.
At least, seven persons have died and more than 700 have been arrested since Nigerians across the country rallied on Thursday for the first of 10 planned “days of protest”.
“My dear Nigerians, especially our youth, I have heard you loud and clear,” the president said, adding that he understood their “pain and frustration”, Tinubu said.
Protesters have blamed the president for their hardships since he came to office in May 2023, including skyrocketing prices. The president on the day he was sworn into office immediately announced the removal of fuel subsidy.
Mr. Tinubu said the protests had been hijacked by looters in some areas, and ending the unrest would create room for dialogue.
But he did not indicate that he would reverse his policies, which include removing a petrol subsidy or ending the peg of the local currency to the dollar.
The planned ten-day protest was organised through social media, using the hashtag #EndBadGovernance and inspired by the recent success of protesters in Kenya, who forced the government there to scrap plans to increase taxes.
President Tinubu also expressed pain over the loss of lives in four northern states and the destruction of public facilities.
Twenty-four-hour curfews remain in place in Borno, Jigawa, Kano and Yobe after authorities there accused “hoodlums” of violence.
Mr Tinubu said “the wanton looting of supermarkets and shops” was contrary to the promise of protest organisers.
He said his government will not stand idly by and allow a few with a clear political agenda to tear this nation apart”.
The protests in Kano city drew the largest crowds on the first day, with police firing live bullets and tear gas to try and disperse thousands of demonstrators. Looting was also reported.
“As a president of this country, I must ensure public order,” the 72-year-old president said in his speech on Sunday morning.
“Our government will not stand idly by and allow a few with a clear political agenda to tear this nation apart.”
Amnesty International has put the death toll at 13 nationwide and on Sunday called on Kano’s governor to “set up an independent judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the killing of at least 10 hunger protesters”.
Some in Kano went on to ignore the lockdown order and a few of those that gathered in suburbs of the city on Friday and Saturday were filmed waving Russian flags and calling on Russia’s President Vladimir Putin for help.
By Sunday this sentiment was being reflected on WhatsApp with protesters changing their profile photos on WhatsApp to the Russian flag, some with the words “Rasha Uwa”, which means “Russia our mother” in the Hausa language.
Others are posting memes to Kano groups saying: “We Nigerians are dying of hunger and our leaders don’t care. Please President Putin of Russia come to our aid.”
In Abuja, the country’s capital, security forces fired tear gas for a third day on Saturday to stop protesters marching from a stadium – designated for them to gather – on the city centre.
Businesses, which were closed during the first protests, began to reopen in Lagos and parts of Abuja on Friday.
But flights to places like Kano from Lagos have been cancelled indefinitely.
It is not clear if the president’s address will be able to assuage the anger of young Nigerians – but first indications suggest not.
Following the speech, a youth leader in the northern city of Kaduna posted on Facebook in Hausa: “Tomorrow everyone will come out with the Russian flags.”
Abiodun Sanusi from the Take It Back Nigeria movement, one of the organisers of the protest, urged the president to allow protesters to march to the centre of Abuja and meet them there.
“We can’t leave the streets until our demands are met”, he said.
“If the president wants to have a dialogue, we urge the president to meet with us at Eagle Square, in the presence of all Nigerians and live on television.
“We are not interested in any secret meetings.”
Mr Sanusi added that the protesters were unhappy about the threat from the defence chief on Friday that the military would “act” if violence continued.
“Only the police should be on the streets, and they should be peaceful too.”
The police have denied using excessive force during the demonstrations.