Police instead of spraying tear gas distribute water to Lagos protesters as NLC kicks off nationwide economic hardship strike

The police force in an unprecedented show of solidarity shared bottled water to protesters on Lagos streets instead of the traditional spraying of tears gas or even shooting the protesters.

This is as members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have started protests in several parts of the country over the biting economic hardship.

Labour and Federal Government authorities had met Monday in a late push to stop the protests, but the meeting ended with no agreement reached between the parties, reports News Express.

As early as 7:00 am, protesters started gathering in different parts of the country, bearing placards and putting on the paraphernalia of the NLC.

Reports gathered by our correspondents showed a heavy presence of security personnel in various states of the federation, as protesters expressed their frustrations at the current nationwide hardship.

Our correspondent who was on the ground at the scene of the protest at the Ikeja under the bridge area of Lagos State gathered that the Labour Congress has been joined by some other Unions, such as the Nigerian Union of Teachers, (NUT), The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) among others.

The unions are expected to hold the rally moving from the convergence point in Ikeja to the State House of Assembly in Alausa.

The presence of Policemen manning every major junction along the three kilometres planned route was sighted, following the Force’s promise to ensure peace and order during the protests.

The rally comes hours after a failed last-minute effort by the Federal Government to avert the NLC two-day warning strike and national protests against economic hardship in the country.