THOUSANDS of protesters were met with tear gas as they poured onto the streets across Nigeria today in protest against the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation. 

In the capital Abuja, where a court granted an order late Wednesday to restrict the rally to a stadium, Nigerian police officers were seen firing tear gas to disperse a protesters who had gathered a few miles from the presidential villa.

The police also fired tear gas at protesters in Bauchi and Borno states in the conflict-battered north-east. It was not immediately clear whether security forces made any arrests.

Nigeria’s public officials, frequently accused of corruption, are among the best-paid in Africa, a stark contrast in a country that, despite being one of the continent’s top oil producers, also has some of the world’s poorest and hungriest people.

Roads were blocked in parts of the country by either placard-carrying protesters or armed security forces, who were deployed overnight. 

Rights groups and activists had raised concerns about a possible clampdown by President Bola Tinuba’s administration. 

Though the protest was originally planned for 10 days, Omoyele Sowore, a former presidential aspirant and one of the organisers, said they will continue until action is taken by the government to mitigate living costs.