Asaba, Delta – As the #EndBadGovernance protests enters Day 10, last day of the nationwide demonstrations, many Nigerians will live with the scars and losses for a long time to come, as 21 protesters were reportedly killed with several others injured in mainly Northern states of Borno, Bauchi, Kano, Niger, Kaduna, and Jigawa, blamed on the country's security forces.

Amnesty International accused the security agents of clampdown on peaceful protesters agitating against president Bola Tinubu-led government harsh economic policies, an accusation they have since denied.

"Their duty is to restore order and make sure that protesters are protected,” Amnesty’s Nigeria director, Isa Sanusi told AFP in an interview

Though no death were recorded in the country's south, several persons were injured especially in Delta state on Day 1 and 2, following attacks by hoodlums on protesters at Warri and Asaba areas of the state.

The hoodlums had chased the protesters away from their meeting points at the Effurun and the Inter Bua roundabouts.

BENDEL Mirror learnt that at Effurun, two lawyers, Barristers Omes Ogedegbe and Dafe Avwunufe, women and others were violently attacked and injured by the hoodlums who were armed with cutlasses, sticks and stones.

In Ughelli area, it was policemen stationed at the Otovwodo junction that allegedly shot and injured a protester, identified as Kester Eloho, which infuriated others to block the East-West road, before normalcy was restored.

On Day 3, some of the protesters blocked the Asaba-Benin Expressway in Agbor area for several hours, attacking passengers and destroying vehicles until the police arrived to disperse them.

Journalists covering the protests, were however not spared as hoodlums manhandled reporters for The Punch, Guardian, Sahara Reporters, Pointer newspapers and other medium, at Asaba, the state capital apparently for taking photographs and interviewing the protesters.

Our correspondent gathered that, it was the intervention of military personnel and policemen deployed to the various meeting points that rescued many from being killed during the protests in the state.

Despite these attacks, the state government claimed it was not aware of the assault on the peaceful protesters, as well as the journalists carrying out their constitutional duties.

Festus Ahon, Chief press secretary to governor Sheriff Oborevwori, maintained that the protests was peaceful, saying security agents were deployed across the state to protect lives and properties.

"I'm just hearing this (attacks) from you for the first time; so far to the best of my knowledge the protests was peaceful.

"The police were there to ensure that the protesters were protected. That they were attacked by hoodlums, I don't have that information at all", Ahon told BENDEL Mirror in a telephone chat

But, the Delta state police command disclosed to this medium on Friday that several persons were arrested across the state following the attacks.

According to the command's spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, the arrested individuals have since been released on bail, as "investigations are still on to ascertain their level of involvement" in the attacks.

President Bola Tinubu shortly after assuming office on May 29, 2023 announced removal of petrol subsidy as well as the devaluation of naira, which led to unprecedented increase in petrol price and crisis in exchange rate that further increase inflation to an all-time high.

President Tinubu in a nationwide broadcast on Day 4 of the protests (last Sunday) appealed for dialogue and immediate end to the protests, saying his administration was ready to address the concerns of protesters.

The nationwide protests planned by the organizers to run for 10 days, which commenced on August 1, is expected to end (today) August 10, 2024.