37-Million-Man Grand Finale #EndBadGovernance March Flops Nationwide As Nigerians Turn to Prayers For Solution to Hunger

By: Israel Adeleke, Olufemi Orunsola 

The grand finale of the 37-million-man nationwide protests against hunger and bad governance scheduled to take place last Saturday, the 10th day of the protests, has reportedly flopped nationwide as many Nigerians shunned the protests, taking to prayers for permanent solution to hunger and bad governance.

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News from multiple-source monitored reports reveal that major cities in the South Western region of the country like Ogun, Oyo, Lagos and Osun and the entire southern part of the country like Enugu, Port Harcourt, Bayelsa and Niger Delta regions, Nigerians boycotted the call for one-million-man march, going about their usual activities and unhindered while many people were sighted organizing prayers in multiple prayer centres in different parts of the country over the last weekend.

However, the protest against hunger and hardship final day held, though on a very low profile, as some protesters converged on the MKO National Stadium, Abuja, amidst heavy presence of security operatives

The protest, which kicked off on August 1, 2024, was initiated by some civil society organizations, demanding an end to what they described as call for an end to pervasive hunger and bad governance in Nigeria.

OTN News further reports that one the organisers of the nationwide protests, The Take It Back Movement ( TIBM), had, on Friday, vowed to stage a one- million-man march each across the 36 states of the country and the Federal Capital Territory. 

OTN News gathered that on Saturday, early as 7:00 a.m., some protesters, carrying their varied banners and placards, had found their way into the MKO Abiola stadium arena.

Their early arrival was apparently to beat the heavy security that had kept surveillance over the protests all along purportedly to guide protesters and ensure that the protest are not hijacked by miscreants to cause any mayhem in the FCT, Nigeria's seat of power.

Armed policemen and soldiers mounted roadblocks within and outside Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), subjecting residents and passersby to untold harassment. Armed security operatives from the Nigerian Police, the Nigerian Army, Department of State Service (DSS), the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Nigerian Security Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) took over the perimeter of the ‘Three Arms Zone’ which harboured the Presidential Villa, the National Assembly and the Supreme Court. The roads from the Police Force Headquarters, Transcorp Hilton junction, Nitel Junction and Ministry of Finance were also barricaded with Armoured Personnel Tanks, restricting both human and vehicular movements in the area.

However, it was reported that the Northern states, of Kaduna, Kano and Katsina where the worst violent attacjs were recirded during the #endhunger protests were beehive of socioeconomic activities as the residents of the three shunned the one-millionman nationwide protests.

In lieu of joining the scheduled one-million-man protests,a decentralized, national special prayer and Qur'anic recitations against hardship and hunger in the land were observed in Kano on Saturday at decentralised prayer points by moslem faithfuls in the Northern State.

Similarly, christians across the country, millions of whom were at the August Annual Convention of the Redeemed Christian Church of God at RCCG Camp throughout the days of the nationwide strike, trooped out to their various churches over the weekend to pray to God for the restoration of the fortunes of the country.

Correspondents of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in the three states learnt that hordes of people were seen busy undertaking their routine public and private activities.

It was gathered that markets, motor parks, supermarkets and other economic activities were going unfettered, oblivious of the proposed protests. Commercial motorists and motorcyclists were also seen busy conveying passengers to and from their various destinations. Security agents were also seen patrolling major streets, protecting critical state and national assets. “We have no issue with anybody as the people are going about their activities lawfully,” a security source that sought for anonymity told NAN along Ahmadu Bello Way, Kaduna.

Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Government said unverified processions were not permitted in the state for reasons of public safety and security. The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan, gave the warning in a statement issued on yesterday in Kaduna.

Aruwan said: “Criminals, disguising as protesters will not get chance to unleash terror, loot properties. “The Kaduna State Security Council under the leadership of Gov. Uba Sani, has reviewed the present security situation arising from the existing 6pm to 8am curfew, and other issues pertaining to public safety. “Based on this review, the security council hereby announces that criminal elements disguising as protesters, with the intent to generate unrest in the state, will not be spared.” He said the council recognised the fundamental rights of the citizens to freedom of expression, lawful assembly, and other constitutional rights enshrined in the 1999 Constitution as amended. Aruwan added that nevertheless, the security forces can not permit a situation wherein criminals masquerade as protesters to loot and vandalise public, private properties, and unleash terror on innocent citizens as experienced on August 1- 5.

According to him, processions not verified and cleared by the security agencies, therefore, remained prohibited in the light of the public security considerations highlighted. “The ugly events of August 1 to 5 are clear indicators that criminals are pursuing an agenda to plunge the state into chaos, and are ready to camouflage these designs with otherwise genuine protests. “Available intelligence from the reviewed period also showed the grim focus of these forces in herding children and impressionable individuals into their dark schemes. “The consequences of these plans, if allowed to flourish, are better imagined.

The Kaduna State Government and security forces will not stand by and allow an anti-state agenda to run unchecked, ” Aruwan said. He said it was worth reiterating that criminals masquerading as protesters would not be permitted to wreak havoc. “Finally, the citizens are enjoined to continue to observe the 6pm to 8am curfew and report any incendiary activity to the Security Operations Room on: 0903 400 0060, 0817 018 9999, “Aruwan said A NAN Correspondent in Kafanchan also learnt that there was no sign of any protest as the residents went about their normal activities. However, security operatives were stationed in strategic locations in and around the town. In Zaria, people were also seen going about their normal businesses as there was no presence or any activities of the protest. There was also the presence of security personnel.

As the #EndBadGovernance protests officially came to a close on Saturday, the losses incurred by the country during the 10-day nationwide  protests, which saw thousands of Nigerians take to the streets to demand better governance and the attendant hunger ravaging the country is yet to be fully ascertained as many lives were lost with public as well as private property worth billions of Naira were destroyed and looted during the protests.