Nigerian Government Alerts Kenyans About Avoiding Mass Protests with Violence

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), has cautioned Kenyan citizens against acting carelessly among the continuous demonstrations in their country.

Dabiri-Erewa on Thursday claims that the Nigerian Embassy in Kenya has been aggressively contacting different groups to guarantee the safety and welfare of Nigerian citizens, especially students.

Responding to a remark made on X by self-acclaimed activist Dr. Olukemi Olunloyo, who disputed Dabiri-Erewa, alleging that the Nigerian embassy had not provided any warnings to Nigerian citizens regarding the protests in Kenya, during which eight protestors were shot dead by the Kenyan police,

"Our young people in Kenya especially have been told to be cautious and vigilant; the Kenyan government has imposed a shoot at sight. Dabiri-Erewa noted: "We pray for none; no Nigerian casualty at the moment."

Following police opening fire on 13 protestors who assaulted the Kenyan parliament, SaharaReporters had earlier reported that an official of the Kenya Medical Association revealed that 13 protestors were murdered on Tuesday in the continuous demonstrations against tax hike in the country.

This was as verified in a brief announcement by Aden Bare Duale, the Kenyan Defence Minister, that the army had been sent to assist the police in handling "the security emergency" within the nation.

Beginning largely in the capital Nairobi and across the nation against the tax rises, the youth-led demonstrations last week were relatively peaceful.

Tensions erupted on Tuesday afternoon as police fired live bullets on throngs that then infiltrated the parliament premises.

"So far, we have at least 13 people killed, but this is not the final number," Simon Kigondu, President of the Kenya Medical Association, said, noting he had never witnessed "such level of violence against unarmed people." AFP notes.

On Wednesday, a representative of Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi reported that physicians were treating "160 people... some of them with soft tissue injuries, some of them with bullet wounds".

The degree of opposition to the Kenyan government's tax measures, largely driven by young Kenyans, is reportedly surprising to it.

While protest organizers have reportedly asked participants to go home together and "stay safe," images originating from the demonstrations that are making the rounds on social media and on local TV stations revealed multiple bodies lying on the ground.