Chika is an Igbo Christian medical student living a privileged life in Lagos. She enters the market wearing a denim skirt and a New York T-shirt, carrying a luxury Burberry handbag. Her academic background and wealth initially distance her from the political violence happening in her country. While hiding in the abandoned store, she provides medical advice and reevaluates her assumptions about social class.

The Woman is a Hausa Muslim trader who sells onions to support her family. She wears a simple black slip beneath a green wrapper and acts quickly to secure shelter when the violence begins. She relies on practical survival skills and shares her personal grief openly, offering her own garments to keep her companion safe.

Nnedi is Chika's sister and a political science student at the university. She organizes pro-democracy rallies and critically analyzes the government, acting as her sister's political guide. She becomes separated from her family during the chaotic clash at the market.

Halima is the eldest daughter of the Hausa trader. She works alongside her mother at the Kano market, selling groundnuts to help support their family before the violence scatters the crowd.

She is a wealthy woman who raises her daughters in comfort. She purchases luxury goods for her children in London and insists that they observe Catholic traditions.

She is a government worker residing in Kano. Her nieces travel from Lagos to stay at her home before the market erupts into chaos.