Fuel protests halt Nigeria

A protestor sports a an anti-corruption T-shirt yesterday in Lagos during a demonstration against the more than doubling of petrol prices after government abolished fuel subsidies.Photo: AFP

Six people were shot dead yesterday as tens of thousands demonstrated nationwide clashed with police over fuel price hikes and a general strike shut down the country.
The launch of what unions called an indefinite strike came at a crucial moment for Africa's most populous nation and largest oil producer, already hit by spiralling violence blamed on Islamist sect Boko Haram.
The strike came after the government's deeply controversial move to end fuel subsidies on January 1, which caused petrol prices to more than double in a country where most of the 160 million population lives on less than $2 a day.
Transport costs have followed suit, sharply increasing the price of commuting, and further effects were feared, especially on the cost of food.
Tensions particularly ran high in Kano, the largest city in Nigeria's north, when thousands converged on the state governor's office, prompting police to fire tear gas and shot into the air. Two people died in the city, said hospital sources.
The strike was widely observed nationwide, particularly in Lagos, where the usually chaotic streets were empty. Three have been killed there.
The recent deadly attacks on Christians have sparked fears of a wider religious conflict in a country whose population is roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and Christian south.