Nigerians continue to march against the cost of living crisis

On Friday, protesters battled with residents in Lagos as part of a demonstration against the country’s greatest cost-of-living problem in a generation.

The protestors, carrying banners, bells, and Nigeria’s green-and-white flag, were confronted with heavy security on Lagos’ streets.

The protests were primarily about food shortages and allegations of mismanagement and corruption in Africa’s most populous country.

Nigeria’s public officials are among the highest paid in Africa, a startling difference in a country with some of the world’s poorest and hungry people while being one of the continent’s largest oil producers.

“The purchasing power of my salary has been completely eroded,” a protester told The Associated Press.

The primarily young protestors chanted songs as they outlined their demands, which included the reintroduction of gas and electricity subsidies that had been cut as part of an economic reform attempt.

Violence and looting were centered in Nigeria’s northern areas, which are among the most affected by hunger and insecurity.

Amnesty International’s Nigeria office said that at least nine individuals were killed by security personnel during widespread rallies over the country’s economic woes.

According to authorities, a police officer was killed and others were injured, while a bomb killed four demonstrators.

Hundreds were arrested during the protests, which resulted in curfews in numerous states.