Borno State Residents Protest Fuel Subsidy Removal and Economic Hardship

On Thursday morning, residents of Borno State took to the streets in a peaceful protest against the escalating insecurity and worsening economic conditions in the wake of the fuel subsidy removal.

The demonstration began in Maiduguri, the state capital, with a large group of youths marching along the Gomari Airport – Bulumkutu Ward route. The protesters carried placards demanding a reversal of the fuel subsidy removal.

Messages on the signs included phrases such as “Ba Maso” (Hausa for “We do not agree”), “Tinubu must reverse or bring back fuel subsidy,” and “We are dying of hunger and insecurity.”

Journalists at the scene noted that the protest was conducted peacefully, with some security personnel even acknowledging the demonstrators with waves.

Business activities in the area were observed to be ongoing, though some filling stations were operating with limited services.

It was earlier that no fewer than 19 residents were killed on Wednesday night after an Improvised Explosive Device(IED) suspected to be planted by Boko Haram insurgents went off at a local joint in Kawuri village, Konduga Local government area of Borno State.

The incident happened three days after insurgents attacked a police station at Jakana town in the same Konduga LGA, and carted away armoury.

A policeman and one woman were killed in that attack while two patrol vans were set ablaze.

Speaking with Daily Trust on the attack, a government official from Kawuri village said the bomb went off around 8:05 pm at a local tea joint where the villagers gathered for a night chat.

The source said 19 people were killed, with an unspecified number of people injured, and have been admitted to an undisclosed hospital in Maiduguri for treatment.

The source said, “Nobody can say exactly how it happened, but we suspected that the bomb was planted, not a suicide attack.

“We saw corpses of 19 people with an unspecified number of civilians injured. The injured were evacuated to an undisclosed hospital in Maiduguri for treatment.”

At the time of filing this report, the Borno State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Daso, has yet to issue any statement on the incident.