“I have always agreed to dialogue at the first chance, and I hereby enjoin demonstrators and the organizers to suspend any further protest,” he declared.
He continued by saying that everyone in the nation needed to work together to reshape its shared destiny, regardless of age, party, tribe, religion, or other differences.

In many regions of the country, the 10-day planned protest—which started on Thursday and was mostly directed against hunger and the rising cost of living—descended into violence, property destruction, and fatalities.

According to NAIJA STREET MATTERS, the “days of rage” protests claimed the lives of at least seventeen people.

Amidst the chaos, several organizations used social media to demand that all Igbos leave Lagos State or face large-scale demonstrations on August 20–30, 2024.

Additionally, the post’s authors commanded all South West and South East indigenous people to go back home before to the scheduled protests.

But Tinubu retorted, saying, “Be forewarned: The law will catch up with you if you have taken unfair advantage of this position to threaten any sector of this country. Ethnic prejudice and such threats have no place in the Nigeria we are trying to create.

“When every Nigerian’s constitutional rights are upheld and safeguarded, our democracy advances.”

“I speak to you today with a heavy heart and a sense of responsibility, aware of the turmoil and violent protests unleashed in some of our states,” the president of Nigeria said to the people. Among the demonstrators were notable young Nigerians who yearned for a better, more progressive nation where their ambitions, desires, and personal aspirations would all come true. “I am particularly hurt by the deaths that have occurred in Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna, and other states; the damage that has been done to public spaces in some areas; and the rapacious looting of stores and supermarkets, which goes against the protest organizers’ pledge that there would be no violence throughout the nation. As a country, we regress when properties are destroyed since limited resources must be spent once more to rebuild them.

“I offer my condolences to the families and loved ones of those lost during the protests. More violence, killing, and devastation must end. It is my duty as our nation’s president to maintain public order. As per my constitutional pledge to safeguard the lives and belongings of each and every person, our government will not watch helplessly as a select few with a distinct political objective rip this country apart.

He addressed the demonstrators, saying, “I’ve heard you clearly. These protests are motivated by grief and frustration, and I want to reassure you that our administration is dedicated to hearing your concerns and taking appropriate action. However, we must allow bloodshed and devastation to split our country apart. To create a better future where all Nigerians can live in dignity and wealth, we must cooperate. “Let no one tell you that your government doesn’t care about you, or mislead and degrade you about your country.”

He gave the people assurance that even though there had been a lot of hopes lost in the past, a new age of renewed optimism was upon the nation.

“We are putting in a lot of effort for you, and everyone will be able to see, feel, and enjoy the results soon,” Tinubu pledged.

“These decisions I made were necessary if we must reverse the decades of economic mismanagement that didn’t serve us well,” Tinubu said in defense of his decision to abolish gasoline subsidies.

“I promise you that my entire attention is on providing the people with governance—good governance, that is.”

Calling for patience, President Tinubu stated that the economy was improving.

In the first half of 2024, he claimed, government revenues more than doubled to over N9.1 trillion from the same period in 2023. He attributed this increase to measures to stop leaks, automate processes, and creatively mobilize funds without placing further burdens on the populace.

According to him, non-oil sector productivity was rising steadily, hitting all-time highs, and seizing possibilities given the current state of the economy.

President Tinubu urged patience as a result, adding, “Please, don’t shut out its oxygen.” The economy is recovering.

7 demonstrators were killed and 681 were arrested by police.

In the meantime, the Nigeria Police Force reported on Saturday that 681 protestors who were thought to be thugs had been detained for a variety of offenses between Thursday and Friday.

Seven more people were slain, according to a statement from Force spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi.

This was in response to a recent report from Amnesty International that claimed 13 protestors had been killed by security forces on the first day of the demonstration.

A boy was shot in Abuja.

However, on Saturday, the third day of the demonstration, a small child is said to have been murdered by police in the Federal Capital Territory’s Kubwa neighborhood as part of the #EndBadGovernance demonstration.
Witnesses claimed that as the protest grew violent, the deceased was shot at close range in the Kubwa neighborhood near Zenith Bank.

Although the boy’s specifics were unknown at the time this article was filed, sources claimed he was not a participant in the demonstration.

But the cops denied being involved in the murder.