1929Colonial
Aba Women's War
Tens of thousands of Igbo and Ibibio women rose against the rumour of taxation on women. At least 55 deaths; the warrant-chief system reformed.
≥ 55 deaths
Documented mobilisations
1929 — present1949Colonial
Iva Valley Massacre
18 November 1949. 21 coal miners shot dead at Enugu Colliery by colonial police. Bristol Hotel riots follow. Foster Commission of Inquiry, 1950.
21 deaths
19641st Republic
General Strike of 1964; Western Region Crisis
13-day general strike (Sept 1964) over wages. 'Operation Wetie' in the Western Region after the contested October 1965 election.
Civilian
1978Military
Ali Must Go
April 1978 nationwide student protests against tuition fees announced by Education Commissioner Col. Ahmadu Ali. NUNS proscribed.
9 deaths
1989Babangida
Anti-SAP Riots
May–June 1989. University students lead nationwide protests against the Structural Adjustment Programme. Multiple deaths in Lagos, Benin, Port Harcourt.
≈ 50 deaths
1993Annulment
Campaign for Democracy protests
Lagos protests against the June 12 annulment. NADECO formed (May 1994). Multiple Lagos market closures throughout 1993–1998.
≈ 100 deaths
2002Obasanjo II
Miss World riots
20–22 November 2002 (Kaduna). Over 200 deaths. Pageant moved to London.
200+ deaths
2009Yar'Adua
Boko Haram uprising (Maiduguri)
26 July – 3 August 2009. JTF assault on Boko Haram positions in Maiduguri. Mohammed Yusuf killed in police custody.
≈ 700 deaths
2012Jonathan
Occupy Nigeria
2–14 January 2012. National strike following partial subsidy removal. Subsidy partially restored on 16 January.
16 deaths
2015Buhari II
Shiite IMN protests
Multiple incidents 2015–2019. Zaria, December 2015: 347+ deaths (Justice Garba Panel). El-Zakzaky detained.
347+ (Zaria)
2020Buhari II
End SARS
8–21 October 2020. SARS dissolved 11 October. Lekki Toll Gate, 20 October. Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry report, November 2021.
≈ 56 deaths nationally
2024Tinubu
End Bad Governance protests
1–10 August 2024. Hunger / cost-of-living protests across multiple states. Amnesty International: at least 24 killed.
24+ deaths (Amnesty)
Methodology
Tier 1 · primary
Courts. Gazettes. National archives.
Tier 2 · corroborating
OCCRP. HRW. BudgIT. TheCable.
Redline
Wikipedia is never a source.