Protests erupted in Enugu on Wednesday as commercial drivers and traders took to the streets over rising fuel prices and what they described as heavy taxation, amid reports of petrol selling for as high as ₦1,500 to ₦1,600 per litre in parts of Nigeria.
Hundreds of tricycle (keke) operators, minibus drivers and market traders blocked major roads and transport hubs around Ogbete Main Market, Old Park and the Holy Ghost axis in the Enugu State capital, disrupting business activities and vehicular movement in the city’s central commercial district.
Protesters complained that daily operational levies had risen sharply from about ₦350 to ₦1,000 over the past 20 months, in addition to park fees and fines, while the cost of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) continued to climb. One commercial driver, Michael Chieze, told reporters at the scene: “We are forced to pay exorbitant daily tickets, park fees, and heavy fines if we don’t pay before noon, all while fuel prices keep climbing. Today PMS is ₦1,450 per litre.”
The demonstration comes as petrol prices have surged nationwide in recent days. In major cities, the product is selling for around ₦1,430 per litre, while prices have reached ₦1,500 per litre in states including Kano, Yobe, Sokoto, Borno, Taraba and Zamfara.
Social media users and some reports have cited figures as high as ₦1,562 to ₦1,600 per litre in certain locations. The latest increases follow upward adjustments by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and other depots amid rising international crude oil prices.
Police were deployed to the affected areas to maintain order. The Enugu State Government later disputed reports framing the action primarily as a tax or fuel-price protest.
A spokesman said the operators were interfacing with terminal management over the allocation of designated parking spaces and accused opposition elements of misrepresenting the incident.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has also reacted strongly to the national price surge. In a statement on Wednesday, NLC President Joe Ajaero said petrol was selling for about ₦1,430 per litre in major cities and higher in less accessible areas.
He warned that the increases were deepening poverty, raising transport, food and other living costs, and called on the Federal Government to introduce emergency palliatives, including wage awards for workers and the sale of crude oil to local refineries in naira.
The rising cost of fuel has intensified public frustration across the country, with individual demonstrators and online commentators also voicing discontent.
No nationwide strike or mass protest has been declared by organised labour as of Thursday, September 17, 2026, but the Enugu action and the NLC’s strong statement underscore growing pressure on authorities to address the impact of higher energy prices on ordinary Nigerians.
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