Nigerian police fired tear gas at protesters in Abuja on Thursday as demonstrations broke out across Nigeria against the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.
Protesters carrying placards, bells and Nigerian flags were met with a heavy security presence on the streets of the capital, with police firing tear gas to disperse the crowds.
In Abuja, where a court granted an order late Wednesday to restrict the protest to a stadium, police repeatedly fired salvos of tear gas at protesters gathered in a district with mainly government offices.
Nigeria’s public officials, frequently accused of corruption, are among the best paid in Africa, a stark contrast in a country that, despite being one of the continent’s top oil producers, also has some of the world’s poorest and hungriest people.
Roads were blocked in parts of the country by either protesters carrying banners or armed security forces who were deployed overnight.
