US, UK, Canada issue travel warnings over Nigeria protests

The United States, Britain and Canada have issued security warnings to their citizens in Nigeria as the country inches towards planned protests over economic hardship.

The UK Foreign Office cautioned of the risks of unrest from July 29 to August 10 and said “past protests have turned violent with little warning.”

The US embassy on Friday advised American citizens to avoid crowds and demonstrations, while Canada warned the planned protests “could turn violent at any time” in a similar advisory on Saturday.

Nigerians, many of them young people, have called for Kenya-style demonstrations from August 1 over soaring costs.

• PHOTOS: Hunger Protest begins in Niger
• Aunt, niece, twins, couple, siblings battle for BBNaija grand prize

Kenya was rocked by deadly protests last month that forced the government to repeal new taxes.

Living costs spiked in Nigeria after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ended a costly fuel subsidy and eased foreign exchange controls after coming to power in May last year.

Inflation hit record levels at 34.19 per cent in June, with food inflation more than 40.87 per cent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Officials, security forces and governors have urged young people to stay away from any protests. Some have even accused the organisers of treason and seeking to destabilise the country.

“While citizens have the right to peaceful protest, they do not have the right to mobilise for anarchy and unleash terror,” defence spokesman Major General Edward Buba told reporters.

However, opposition leader Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party insisted that the government must provide security for “peaceful protests”.

“Any attempt to suppress these rights is not only unconstitutional but a direct affront to our democracy,” Abubakar said on X last week.

Nigeria’s last major protest movement ended in a crackdown by security forces.

The 2020 #EndSARS rallies began over abuses by the SARS anti-robbery police squad and spiralled into the largest anti-government demonstrations in Nigeria’s modern history.

Amnesty International said soldiers shot at least 10 people dead at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos. The government and the army deny responsibility.