Tension is rising across the country as organizers of the nationwide protests scheduled for August 1 to 10 have vowed not to back down.
Reports say some Nigerians, who are irked by the prevailing economic situation ravaging the nation, vowed to stage mass protests in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, next month.
The demonstration, according to the organizers, is aimed at drawing the attention of the governments at various levels to the hardship bedeviling the citizens.
The agenda is also to possibly persuade the current administration into reversing some policies that birthed the current economic reality.
This has triggered tension across the country with some government officials, business owners, security agencies fidgeting over possible attacks on them.
On Wednesday, the National Bureau of Statistics disclosed in its June report that prices of some food items skyrocketed as high as 250 percent recently.
According to a recent data, one kilogram of white Garri (sold loose) went up by 181.66 percent on a year-on-year basis from N 403.15 in June 2023 to N1,135.51 in June 2024, while there was an increase of 1.86 percent on a month-on-month basis.
Also, the price of 1kg of beans brown (sold loose) stood at N2,292.76 indicating a rise of 252.13 percent from N651.12 recorded in June 2023.
Similarly, 1kg of Yam tuber increased by 295.79 percent on a year-on-year basis from N510.77 in June 2023 to N 2,021.55 in May 2024.
The report added that there was also a notable price increase of Irish potato by 288.5 percent on a year-on-year basis from N623.75 in June 2023 to N2,423.27 in June 2024.
According to the organizers of the looming protest, the inability of Nigerians to afford the food items and other basic needs is what stimulated the move for the ten days nationwide protests titled the “Days Of Rage”.
Security concerns
There are concerns that the proposed protest may worsen the security crisis already facing the nation.
The Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Defence Headquarters and the Department of State Services have all raised the alarm that the planned protest may result in anarchy.
Recall that the Defence Headquarters on Thursday warned that the planned protest has the potential of degenerating into anarchy and a reign of terror.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba, who spoke while briefing journalists in Abuja, said that there were signs of status-related violence such that persons with things as basic as smartphones and cars were targets, not leaving out those who own houses and shops.
Similarly, the Nigeria Police Force issued a cautionary alert, citing credible intelligence about potential manipulation by foreign mercenaries and the involvement of malicious groups aiming to disrupt public order.
Olukayode Egbetokun, the Inspector-General of Police IGP, expressed concerns about the involvement of external actors in the protests, emphasizing the need for Nigerians to exercise caution before joining any protest groups.
In the same vein, the Department of State Services, DSS warned the organisers of the protests against proceeding with their plans.
The service alerted the general public that it uncovered a plan by some criminal elements to hijack the protest and cause unrest in the country.
DSS, in a statement by its spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, described the motive behind the protest as political
He claimed that plotters of the protest intended to use the violent outcome of the demonstration to smear the federal and sub-national governments.
Organizers vow not to back down
Despite the warnings, cautions and concerns raised from different quarters, the organizers of the proposed protest said there is no going back.
A former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, Omoyele Sowore, who is one of the key organizers, told newsmen on Saturday that the protest will hold as scheduled.