From Bodija, the protesters moved to the Oyo State Secretariat complex, Agodi, displaying their placards with inscriptions such as 'End food hike and inflation,' 'The poor are starving,' 'Tinubu, don't forget your promises,' 'Tinubu, stop this bad governance', and 'Tinubu, put an end to this hardship', among others.
Against the backdrop of the current hardship, occasioned by inflation, removal of fuel subsidy and the exorbitant prices of foodstuffs and other basic services, youths and some traders, on Monday, took to major streets in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, to protest against the high cost of living.
The demonstration began at about 11.15 a.m. as youths, traders and other passers-by converged on the popular Mokola Roundabout and subsequently moved to Sango, en route to the dual carriageway that leads to the University of Ibadan (UI).
They were chanting solidarity songs to denounce what they termed growing inflation and the dwindling purchasing power of Nigerians.
The development, which caused gridlock along Mokola Roundabout, Veterinary, Oremeji and Sango neighbourhoods slowed down socioeconomic activities, as the protesters, displaying various placards, underscored the need for the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to do the needful to mitigate the suffering of the masses.
According to our correspondents, who monitored the protest, the youths later moved from the University of Ibadan main gate area to Bodija market, in Ibadan North Local Government Area, where some traders joined the train in solidarity.
The traders, mostly women, expressed concern over poor sales and arbitrary increases in the prices of goods and commodities, urging the Federal Government to reverse some of its policies that they claimed were inimical to the economic development of the nation.
Accusing Mr Tinubu's administration of allegedly inflicting pain and hardship on the citizenry, the protesters called for his intervention to salvage the nation.
From Bodija, the protesters headed to the Oyo State Secretariat Complex, Agodi as they brandished their placards with inscriptions such as 'End food hike and inflation,' 'The poor are starving,' 'Tinubu, don't forget your promises,' 'Tinubu, stop this bad governance', and 'Tinubu, put an end to this hardship', among others.
Addressing journalists, the spokesperson of the protesters, Emiola Solomon, said the protest was organised under the aegis of 'All Concerned Nigerians.'
Describing the hardship as unbearable, he charged Mr Tinubu to address the issue without delay to avoid mass civil unrest, capable of jeopardising the peace and unity of Nigeria.
'This is all due to the bad economic policies of President Bola Tinubu. The masses are suffering due to the hike in prices of food items. Buying food has become difficult now. All food items are costly. All coalitions are part of this," he stated.
Another protester, who identified himself as Pastor Paul Steve, said the residents embarked on the protest to show their grievances to the present-day government as they have failed to fulfil the promise made to Nigerians before getting elected.
Mr Steve alleged that the government in power has brought nothing but hardship on the citizens, urging it to go back to the drawing board.
"Things have become so expensive and out of the reach of the common man. An average Nigerian can no longer feed himself, take care of his children, provide accommodation for his family, take care of his aged parents, pay school fees for his children, and so on.
"This is why we are here on a day like this to let the government know that the way they are running this nation is not conducive for Nigerians anymore. They need to retrace their steps," he said.
Another protester, who simply identified himself as a driver expressing his grievances, lamented the high cost of living, saying he could no longer afford to feed his family.
"They said 'it is our turn,' should we not be able to eat? Is it till hunger kills us? We want to pay school fees, we can't; we want to eat, we can't eat. How many people were drinking garri before? Even that garri is now very expensive.
"We want the government to have mercy on us. This suffering is too much. How did everything get to this level? If they can't do it, let them leave the seat for those who are capable," he said.
Meanwhile, armed police personnel, officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and sizable personnel of the Nigerian Army were spotted at strategic areas along the routes of the protesters to prevent the protest from being hijacked by hoodlums and other criminal elements.
Speaking to journalists, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Oyo State Police Command, Adewale Osifeso, said the command would always provide security for peaceful protesters and all residents of the state.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"From Mokola, which is the starting point of the protest, the police have been following them step-by-step to Bodija Market, Awolowo to the state secretariat. Having got to this point, they are turning to the secretariat. The command wants to assure the residents that we have their interest at heart and we will ensure that relative peace in Oyo State remains as it is.
"Our people have the right to freedom of assembly. Our duty is to ensure that it is not hijacked by unscrupulous elements. We are here to provide protection to the protesters and to ensure that they are not led to the issue that will cause chaos," Mr Osifeso said.
Recall that in the last few weeks, protests against the high cost of living and food have also been held in Niger, Plateau, Kano, Sokoto, and Osun States, among other places.
This is as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has also given an ultimatum to the federal government to address the pervasive hardship in the country decisively or risk a two-day national protest on 27 and 28 February later this month.
