Police officers have used teargas on a group of protesters around the federal secretariat in Abuja, the Nigeria’s capital city.

Young Nigerians commenced a nationwide protest against economic hardship and soaring inflation on Thursday.

The protests have been dubbed ’10 days of rage’ with the hashtag #EndBadGovernance.

There is heavy police presence across the nation as the protest picks up steam.

However, on Thursday morning, some of the protesters engaged police personnel in a heated argument, insisting that they would not be caged within the precincts of the stadium.

They were incensed when Police Commissioner, Benneth Igwe, ordered them to move from their peaceful gathering spot beside the MKO Abiola Stadium into the stadium itself.

The sudden directive was met with resistance and jeers from the crowd, who had been demonstrating peacefully.

Despite the police efforts, protesters refused to comply, and as of the time of filing this report, the authorities have been unable to force them into the stadium.

“We are not obstructing traffic and we are by the side of the stadium. We cannot move into the stadium,” they told the commissioner.

“We are not here for football,” someone said.

In Kano State, some of the protesters partaking in the nationwide demonstration against hardship set up bonfire in front of Government House, Thursday morning.

The protesters from different parts of the metropolis had converged on the Government House, where Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf was to address them.

However, some of them assembled tyres and set them ablaze as they were approaching the gate.

This made security operatives at Government House to fire gunshots and teargas to disperse the protesters.

The crowd fled towards different directions in the ensuing confusion.

In Niger, Gunshots were fired into air at the popular Top Medical junction in Tunga area of Minna, Niger State capital, when protesters attempted to block the road.

The Police had earlier fired teargas to disperse the protesters but they attempted to reassemble while aiming at mounting a road block on the ever busy road.

The policemen on ground had to fire gunshots into the air to scare them away.

Daily Trust reported that policemen and vigilantes were seen removing the stones the protesters had use to barricade a section of the road.

Security Operatives comprising the police, military, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have taken over perceived hot spots including the Popular Kpakungu Roundabout on Minna-Bida road where protest held early this year.

Markets and shops were closed for fear of looting.

Meanwhile, one of the counter-protesters in Abuja has revealed they were promised N5, 000 to demonstrate against the anti-hunger protests.

The unnamed protester spoke with Punch Correspondent in Abuja on Thursday.

He said he was given N2, 000 and promised the remaining amount after the demonstration.

He added that he’s hungry but the money given to him would not solve his problem.

The counter demonstrators arrived at the National Stadium in Abuja in five coastal buses.

One of the counter-protesters told our correspondent in Abuja that he wasn’t aware he was brought for a counter-protest.

He said he thought they were told they were being transported to the location for the actual protest.