Nigerian protests fizzle out after deadly police crackdown

By Seun Sanni

LAGOS (Reuters) -Protests in Nigeria over the soaring cost of living ebbed on Monday, with only a few hundred people turning out in major cities following a deadly crackdown by security forces since the demonstrations began last week.

Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets in the capital Abuja, Lagos and other big cities during the protests against economic hardship and crime, which started on Thursday and were meant to continue until Aug. 10.

Amnesty International said at least 13 people have been killed in clashes with police since the start of the protests, which were dubbed "#10DaysOfRage". Police put the death toll at seven, saying some of the fatalities were caused by accidents and an explosive device.

A tough police response and a call for a protest pause by President Bola Tinubu appeared to have dampened the demonstrations, which came weeks after data showed annual inflation hit a 28-year high of 34.19% in June.

In the commercial hub of Lagos, where demonstrations have been largely peaceful, about 100 people gathered at the protest venue singing and chanting "we are hungry". In Abuja, there were no signs of protests at the main stadium where protesters have been gathering since Thursday.

In the north of the country, about 200 protesters were dispersed by armed security forces in Maiduguri, capital of Borno state, while in Katsina, security forces fired teargas at protesters who were chanting "hunger and insecurity are killing us".

Curfews have been imposed in parts of the north, which has seen some of the largest and fiercest protests, and in the central state of Plateau.

On Sunday, Tinubu called for an end to violence and said he was always open to dialogue.

Tinubu, in office since May 2023, defended his economic reforms, which have included a partial end to costly petrol and electricity subsidies and devaluation of the naira, as necessary to reverse years of economic mismanagement.

(Additonal reporting by Ope Adetayo in Abuja, Ahmed Kingimi in Maiduguri and Hamza Ibrahim in Kano; Writing by Elisha Bala-Gbogbo;Editing by Angus MacSwan and Helen Popper)