As the nationwide strike enters day five, the convener of the Save Nigeria Group, Pastor Tunde Bakare Friday announced to the teeming crowd at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota Lagos that while labour unions meet to deliberate on the outcome of their meeting with government officials on Thursday, the rally will not hold tomorrow and Sunday.
Speaking to the protesters, Pastor Bakare said the decision is to allow the people rest and give the federal government two days to reverse the petrol pump price to N65 per litre, failing which the protest will continue on Monday.
Two killed in Niger State
The protest over the removal of fuel subsidy turned bloody in Lambata, Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State following the alleged killing of two youths, Yahaya Adamu and Rabiu Abubakar, by the police late Thursday.
The father of one of the deceased, Adamu Ciroma, explained that the boys in Lambata were on a peaceful protest against the removal of fuel subsidy when the police started shooting at the protesters and in the process killed the two youths while many others sustained various degrees of injuries.
However, the Niger State police public relations officer, Richard Ogunche in a telephone conversation with channels television in Minna denied the killing of the youths but confirmed that there was a confrontation between the police and the protesters in Lambata, noting that an assistant superintendent of police sustained a serious injury during the fracas.
He however stated that a total of 212 persons had been arrested following the violent protest that broke out in the state on Wednesday.
Medical Association pledges continued support for labour
The Nigerian Medical Association says it will continue to align with the demands of the organised labour for the reversal of the pump price of fuel which was ill-timed.
A statement jointly signed by the president of the association, Doctor Idris Omede and the secretary, Doctor Bala Audu says the association will, however, continue rendering emergency services in all health facilities in view of casualties that have been reported from various protest sites including death.
The association appealed to the federal government to forestall further losses in any form by reverting to the N65 per litre of petrol in line with the request of the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress, civil society organisations, and professional associations including the Nigeria Bar Association.
Source: CHANNELS TV
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