The governor of Kano State, Nigeria, issued a 24-hour curfew on Thursday after crowds looted and destroyed property amid anti-corruption protests. Following the curfew, all citizens are expected to stay home, prohibiting them from demonstrating.

Protesters set fire to tires in front of the state governor’s residence, while looters broke into a nearby warehouse and stole containers of vegetable cooking oil and mattresses. During the protests, police used live bullets, tear gas, and boiling water to disperse the people. As a result, four people were injured and taken to the hospital.

Motivated by anti-corruption protests in Kenya and Uganda, Nigerian youth flocked to the streets to demand government accountability. They also demanded that the government address 18 other issues, including unemployment, hunger, election reforms, and the failing economy. Protests are being coordinated under the hashtag #EndBadGovernanceinNigeria on major social media platforms like X. The state, however, through the Inspector General of Police, has rejected the protests as a ploy to cause disturbance in the country.

Several human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have warned the authorities against using disproportionate force to quell protests. According to these organizations, the freedom to demonstrate is guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution, thus the state should defend this and other rights amid the demonstrations.