The Enugu police command provided security for protesters participating in the nationwide demonstration on August 1.
On Thursday, August 1, at approximately 11 a.m., the protest began in Enugu from Naira Triangle on the Expressway and ended at Okpara Square, where a crowd of about 20 police officers watched calmly from a distance.
Singing a variety of songs, the demonstrators carrying placards marched under the banner of Citizens Nigeria, voicing their complaints.
Some of their placards read: “End hunger, reduce fuel price, Stop food price hike”, “nobody is safe, reduce high-cost governance”, and “Reduce fuel price to end high cost of food”, among others.
Addressing reporters during the protest, the leader of the group, Igboke Onyebuchi, lamented that the federal government was becoming highly insensitive to the hardship across the country.
“We all can agree that in this country everyone is suffering. Whether you are Christian, Muslim or even unbelievers, we are all suffering. We are united in suffering.
“Whenever it comes to a solution, we are divided. The idea is that politicians have mastered the art of divide and rule. Now you will be hearing some voices from the Southeast, from the Northern part, from the Southwest, they will be telling us to endure. Endure till when?
“What are the chances that the government is doing as if they have direction? By now we are supposed to have a clear direction as to where the government is going.
“Should we talk about the refineries that are not working? Should we talk about hunger? Should we talk about insecurity up North or down here in the Southeast and across the country? Should we talk about the unemployment rate?
“Should we talk about dollar increases day by day? What is the government doing exactly to address this to meet the needs of the people?
“As of this morning, we know that the fuel is sold at N850 to N900. What are the indicators that things will be done right? I am happy that we came out in our numbers to solidarise with other Nigerians across the country”, he said.
Thus, he requested that President Bola Tinubu focus on bringing down the price of fuel, arguing that this action would significantly lower the exorbitant cost of living.
