Protesters gathered in Lagos on Friday for a candlelight procession to honor those who lost their lives during recent demonstrations.
The ongoing protests, organized under the hashtag #Endbadgovernance, have been driven by Nigeria’s worsening cost-of-living crisis and allegations of corruption and resource mismanagement in the country.
Amnesty International reports that 22 protesters have been killed across six states during these protests, based on witness and family accounts, along with their own investigations.
Demonstrators are demanding accountability for the deaths, insisting that the protests were peaceful.
“All those who are responsible for those killings must be arrested and tried. We are calling for a Democratic public probe into the killings and the clampdown across the country,” said protester Hassan Taiwo Soweto.
Despite the high human cost, some say the demonstrations have been worthwhile.
“By and large, it has been a success,” protester Gideon Adeyeni told the Associated Press.
“We have, made our demands known, we have made our grievances known,” he adds.
“Though none of our demands have been met. But, of course, the struggle will continue, and we will not stop until we achieve victory,” he concludes.
The cost-of-living crisis was fueled by surging inflation that is at a 28-year high and the government’s economic policies to save more money and attract investors.
