In a dramatic display of frustration, residents of Minna took to the streets on Monday, barricading major roads and bringing vehicular movement to a standstill.
The protest, fueled by grievances over the exorbitant cost of living, escalated when demonstrators clashed with police, prompting law enforcement to resort to firing shots in the air to disperse the crowd.
According to Ibrahim Gana, a vocal participant in the protest, basic food items like rice and maize have become luxury commodities, with rice reaching an alarming N2,000 per mudu in Minna markets.
Gana, expressing the sentiment of many, demanded urgent government intervention to alleviate the severe hardship faced by ordinary Nigerians.
Malam Shehu Usman, a civil servant and father of five, painted a grim picture of the current situation, describing the escalating prices as inexplicable and in need of divine intervention. He bemoaned the staggering N10,300 increase within 30 days on a 50kg bag of rice, emphasizing the profound impact on households struggling to afford three meals a day.
The absence of an official statement from the Niger State Police Command, as of now, leaves unanswered questions about the handling of the situation by law enforcement. Meanwhile, concerns about the rising cost of living extend beyond Minna, resonating across the nation.
In Kano, citizens grapple with the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities, exemplified by a 50-kg bag of sugar now fetching N73,000, compared to N62,000 in early January. Additionally, the cost of a bag of cement surged from N5,500 to N7,300 within the same period, adding to the economic woes faced by ordinary Nigerians.
As protests unfold and citizens express their dissatisfaction, the government faces mounting pressure to address the root causes of the economic challenges that have left many grappling with unprecedented difficulties in their daily lives.