Abuja (dpa)- One man was killed in clashes with police, as protests raged across Nigeria Tuesday in the wake of the government's New Year's Day decision to scrap fuel subsidies. Protesters had taken to the streets in the capital Abuja, as well as other cities, including Lagos. They gathered at petrol stations, where prices had doubled, surged onto main roads and lit fires in protest. The man was killed when police fired shots to break up a protest in Kwana, local media reported. The removal of the fuel subsidies has already led the cost of fuel to skyrocket from 65 naira per liter (0.40 dollars) to 140 naira. In the capital, a growing protest dubbed Occupy Abuja in the city's Eagle Square was curtailed by security forces. Dino Melaye, who led the protest, told dpa that “no amount of intimidation, oppression, beating and blackmail will disrupt us.” “There will be no surrender until the government reverses its decision,” he said. Authorities beefed up security across the country in an attempt to halt the protests, especially in northern cities where a state of emergency was declared in the wake of ethnic violence and ongoing tension with the radical Islamist group Boko Haram. In Lagos, members of trade unions and even some policemen joined the protests, angry at not only the subsidy removal, but the unveiling of the government's 2012 budget, which reallocates the money previously used to subsidize the cost of fuel without funding their priorities. Minister of Labor Emeka Wogu said the protesters should be “patient” and avoid “overheating the system.” “The budget is clear,” he said. The minimum wage in Africa's most populous nation is equivalent to 140 dollars per month. Defending the move, President Goodluck Jonathan said it would unlock social capital that will boost infrastructure in the country of 160 million. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/6BaZ6 Tags: Fuel, Nigeria, Price Hikes, Protest Section: Business, Latest News, West Africa
