NIgerians protesters stay put in fuel protests

A police officer has been killed as protests over rising fuel prices continue in Africa's largest crude producer and most populous nation.

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3 min read

Published 12 January 2012 9:03am

Updated 26 February 2015 3:01pm

Source: AAP

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A mob has killed a policeman as tens of thousands of Nigerians defy an order to end a three-day-old strike and unions threaten to stop oil production.

This map shows protests over fuel prices and sectarian violence which has taken place since the new year.

<span>&amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;small&amp;amp;gt;View &amp;amp;lt;a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&amp;amp;amp;amp;msid=200773453770667216014.0004b635d6a306bcf6fe4&amp;amp;amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;amp;amp;t=h&amp;amp;amp;amp;vpsrc=6&amp;amp;amp;amp;ll=9.297307,8.85498&amp;amp;amp;amp;spn=9.746347,13.161621&amp;amp;amp;amp;z=6&amp;amp;amp;amp;source=embed" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;"&amp;amp;gt;Unrest in Nigeria&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt; in a larger map&amp;amp;lt;/small&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;The protests over soaring fuel prices sank Africa's largest crude producer and most populous nation further into crisis.&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;The tensions have left the global oil market watching anxiously and President Goodluck Jonathan facing his toughest challenge since he was elected last year.&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;Despite a government order late on Tuesday that labelled the strike illegal and threatened to withhold pay, protesters took to the streets on Wednesday as gangs of youths burnt tyres and harassed drivers for cash.&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;Pockets of Lagos, the largest city in Africa's most populous nation, descended into chaos with gangs attacking a police car with sticks and ripping down signposts.&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;MOSTLY PEACEFUL&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;The main groups of protesters in Lagos, however, remained peaceful, with some 10,000 people at one of the largest demonstrations dancing and singing anti-government songs.&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;Some vowed they would begin camping out there.&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;"I am here with my water and toothbrush because we are not leaving this arena until our demand for fuel at 65 naira (39 Australian cents) is met," said Akinola Oyebode, a 23-year-old at the main protest in Lagos, referring to the price of a litre of petrol before government subsidies were scrapped from January 1.&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;The petrol price has doubled since the subsidy was scrapped.&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;In the central city of Minna, a mob rampaged, burning political offices, leaving a police officer dead and prompting an all-day curfew.&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;In Kano, the largest city in the north, thousands of people marched through the streets.&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;Protesters and police clashed in Kano on Monday, leaving at least two people shot dead, but no incidents were reported from Wednesday's march.&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;Oil production has so far not been affected by the strike, but workers threatened action if the government does not respond to their demands.&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;"We hereby direct all production platforms to be on red alert in preparation for total production shutdown," union leader Babatunde Ogun said in a statement as union officials met in the oil hub of Port Harcourt.&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;</span>

NIgerians protesters stay put in fuel protests

A police officer has been killed as protests over rising fuel prices continue in Africa's largest crude producer and most populous nation.

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NIgerians protesters stay put in fuel protests

A police officer has been killed as protests over rising fuel prices continue in Africa's largest crude producer and most populous nation.

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