by Adedayo Ademuwagun

This week makes it exactly three years since the Occupy Nigeria uprising of January 2012. It went down as one of the most significant periods in Nigerian history. It is a milestone.

Here are seven pictures that depict the uprising as it happened.

1. Letter from Abuja.

On January 1, this press release from the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency announced the government’s decision to officially stop subsidising petrol. That single release provoked the revolt and nearly caused a revolution.

2. Revolution is calling.

Rioting spontaneously broke out in many cities including Lagos. The fuel price had galloped and inflation was imminent, and the people immediately began to feel the bite. So they stormed the streets. The demand was specific: revert to N65.

3. The mother of all movements.

Occupy Nigeria wasn’t the first major movement in the country, but it was exceptional because of the scale and diversity. The demonstrations were very widespread and nearly unanimous. This time it wasn’t about ethnicity or partisanship. It was about what the people jointly wanted. It was about change.

4. Activists turn their back.

Jonathan enjoyed huge civil society support before he became president. Activists rallied in his favour when some people in high places tried to prevent him from statutorily taking over from Yar’adua in 2010, and he won the following election based on his popularity. However, this subsidy removal policy destroyed the support that civil society had for him and it was from this time that a lot of people who previously rooted for him began to resent him. The effect of that downfall is still evident till today.

5. Like Lagos, Like Cairo.

What started as a demo against a government policy soon became a huge upheaval. It turned out the subsidy removal was just the trigger. The nation was volatile already and the masses were frustrated about the state of the country. So they saw this as their opportunity to vent and push for a radical change, and had the government not moved to break the protests, it might have overthrown the president and plunged the country into worse instability.

6. And some people were shot.

The demonstrations started peacefully but shortly became disorganised and violent. There was rioting all over the country. Police were called in to quell the riots and some people were shot. Some people were reportedly shot to death.

7. The comrades repeat history.

Labour leaders declared a nationwide strike one week after activists had been protesting in Lagos and the other cities. This further validated the protests and reinforced the agitation. Meanwhile, activists continued to press the comrades to withstand the government and insist on total reversal to N65, but the protesters were mistrusting about the labour leaders. They suspected that they’ll settle with the government and betray the cause. Perhaps they were right.

By the end of the first week of the strike, labour leaders announced a two-day break so they could sit down with the federal government over the weekend and work things out. At the end they made a deal with the government and dismissed the strike, consequently giving the government the initiative. The government didn’t waste time. It seized the initiative at once and snuffed out the uprising.

8. Khaki no be leather.

Soldiers took charge of protest venues immediately the comrades dismissed the strike. The protesters vanished from the streets and civil society soon surrendered too. Essentially, the revolution was finished.

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Photo sources

1. Letter from Abuja.
ibenaija.org

2. Revolution is calling.
ibtimes.com

3. The mother of all movements.
ekekeee.com

4. Activists turn their back.
nigerianmuse.com

5. Like Lagos, Like Cairo.
ibtimes.com

6. And some people were shot.
ibtimes.com

7. The comrades repeat history.
farooqkperogi.com

8. Khaki no be leather.
cogala.wordpress.com