Live updates from Nigerian streets

Many Nigerians will today, Saturday, take to the streets in peaceful protests against bad governance, public corruption, other forms of maladministration and the worsening state of insecurity across the country.

Like the #EndSARS protests which rocked Nigeria in October 2020, the June 12 protest, organised by some civil society organisations and activists with no particular central leadership structure, is billed to hold simultaneously in different cities across the various states of the federation, including Lagos State, Nigeria’s economic hub, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Deliberately planned to coincide with Nigeria’s Democracy Day, the organisers of the June 12 protests have called on Nigerians to boycott official activities lined up by authorities to commemorate the day, and join the demonstrations in their localities.

The protest, which organisers started planning weeks ago, aims to pressure the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to take on the responsibility of providing good governance and security of lives and property of Nigerians.

The last one week before the protest has seen heightened campaigns about the protests on various social media platforms following the June 4 ban on Twitter operations by the Buhari administration.

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Although many Nigerians continue to defy the ban using available apps to gain access to Twitter, the action has fueled the rage of many against the government, widely seen as being hell bent on stifling dissenting voices at all cost.

Going by the administration’s history of waning tolerance towards citizens exercising their rights to peaceful protests, confrontational encounters between security forces and protesters are likely to be seen on some Nigerian streets today.

PREMIUM TIMES reporters will be bringing to you live updates of the June 12 protests as events unfold in various states.