No fewer than 14 protesters, including a policeman, yesterday lost their lives on the first day of the protest against hardship in the country.Those killed included six at Suleja in Niger State; four in Maiduguri, Borno State; three in Kaduna State; and one in Kebbi State.

Aside from those killed during the protest, a curfew was also declared in Borno and Kaduna states, as the protests, which started on a peaceful note, turned violent later.

Clashes between the police and protesters were equally recorded in Abuja, Delta and Bayelsa states but the protest was largely peaceful in Lagos, Oyo and Osun states.

At Suleja, where dozens of protesters also sustained injuries, victims were said to have been killed while security operatives were struggling to dislodge a group of protesters who mounted barricades on a section of Abuja-Kaduna highway, entrapping hundreds of passengers and motorists for hours.

Some policemen who were around the barricade, could not control the youths who outnumbered them.
However, a reinforcement team was said to have been sent to the scene where pandemonium occurred.
Among those killed was said to be Yahaya Nda Isah, a resident of Hassan Dalatu Road, Suleja, who was hit by a stray bullet.

The bullet reportedly hit Isa on his bike in front of Suleja Police ‘A’ division where protesters had assembled.