Following the the wave of protests that rocked several states across the country, key figures in President Bola Tinubu’s administration, including the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and federal Ministers today, February 6, convened an urgent closed-door meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The meeting which commenced at about 5:30pm is said to address the escalating public discontent and escalating insecurity.
The Ministers of Education, Dr. Tahir Mamman; Finance, Wale Edun; Agriculture, Abubakar Kyari; and State for Agriculture, Mustapha Shehuri, were among the cabinet members present.
The stakeholders aim to map out a multi-dimensional approach the administration is keen on adopting to address the grievances aired by the demonstrators.
The emergency high-level meeting is said to be precipitated by a series of protests in Minna and Kano, where frustrated members of the public especially youths and women expressed outrage over the spiralling cost of living across the nation.
Particularly in Niger, thousands of women barricaded the Minna-Bida Road at the Kpakungu Roundabout, issuing a vehement plea to President Tinubu’s government to mitigate the severe ‘hunger in the land.’
Efforts by security forces to disperse the gatherings through the deployment of tear gas and the arrest of some protestors were met with staunch resistance, signalling growing unrest among the populace over economic hardships.
Expectedly, criminally minded individuals have become more daring as everyone becomes more creative and intentional with survival strategies.
Banditry and kidnapping for ransom have become a lucrative industry that will require a multifaceted approach to tackle.