Lagos, Nigeria - More professional groups as well as states have joined the mounting protests against the New Year day's fuel price hike in Nigeria, even though the strike called by organized labour is still three days away. In the economic capital city of Lagos, members of the umbrella Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) staged a peaceful protest on Thursday. They carried a bold banner that read, 'Lawyers reject fuel price hike', as they marched to the Lagos State House of Assembly (state parliament) to register their opposition to the increase.

Protesters also took to the streets In the South-west city of Abeokuta and the mid-western city of Benin city, as the demonstrations spread nation-wide.

In Abeokuta, thousands of protesters carrying placards denouncing the subsidy withdrawal took to the major streets in the ancient city, paralysing business and social activities for several hours.

Some of the inscriptions on the  placards read; 'Remove corruption, not fuel subsidy', 'Jonathan this must stop' and 'No to fuel subsidy removal'.

The protesters, including students, artisans and professional groups under the umbrella of Action Committee of Professionals, called on the Nigerian government to revert to the old price of fuel.

'The government action is anti-people and anti-democracy. The PDP-led Federal Government has been suffering the people. The protests will continue until government reverses the fuel hike,' a spokesman of the protesters, Mr. Mutiu Agboke, told journalists.

The protest in Benin City was organised by a group known as Coalition to Save Nigeria, comprising the United Action for Democracy (UAD), Coalition for Women Group, Live Above Poverty Position, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Coalition of Edo State.

The government has said it has no plans to cancel the price increase, which has taken the cost of a litre of petrol from 65 naira (0.4 cents) to at least 141 naira (0.90 cents).

Organized labour has fixed Monday for the start of a nation-wide strike over the high fuel prices.

Pana 06/01/2012