Security operatives on Saturday, crackdown on Protesters in Abuja who came out to fulfill their vow to hold a one million man march to mark the tenth day of the ‘end bad governance’ protest.
The demonstrators began to assemble in large numbers as early as 7 a.m. but were later dispersed by armed police officers using tear gas and live ammunition.
They were marching from Ebano Supermarket to Galadimawa junction when police arrived approximately three hours later, deploying tear gas and live rounds to break up the gathering. The crowd fled for safety during the assault, although fortunately, no lives were lost.
Speaking to journalists, one of the protesters said: “We started at 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. before they scattered us. We started around Ebano supermarket at that junction and matched to the Galadimawa roundabout. Before we could get to the Galadimawa roundabout, police came with their usual trademark and chased us away.
“They didn’t shoot live bullets at us directly, but tear gas was directly fired at us. But since they started shooting guns, no one can tell if they will start killing us if you don’t run.
“We are not scared of teargas and arrest, sir. If they didn’t shoot live bullets, they wouldn’t be able to scatter us. We want to live to see the country we are fighting for. So, we couldn’t face bullets, and that was why we ran.
‘’But today hasn’t marked the end of the protest. We will continue to protest until our demands are attended to. The most essential is the reversal of the removal of fuel subsidy, which is the major reason we are where we are now,”
Another protester, who identified himself as Rasheed, said: “This protest is just the beginning of what’s to come if the government continues to ignore our demands. We will regroup and return even stronger. Personally, this country has taken so much from me that I fear nothing and have nothing to lose. Nigerian youths are simply asking for good governance. It’s not rocket science; we deserve to enjoy our homeland.”
The 10-day #EndBadGovernance protest against hunger and hardship began nationwide on August 1 and was set to conclude on Saturday 10th August, as planned.
Many Nigerians, frustrated with President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, have been calling for significant changes to address the ongoing economic challenges, including reversing some of the policies.
The protests faced suppression from police and security forces, who shot at peaceful demonstrators and journalists during the initial three days. Amnesty International reported that over 20 individuals were killed nationwide during the protests.
On Sunday, President Tinubu addressed the nation regarding his policies and called for an end to the protests. However, some Nigerians remained unconvinced by his speech and continued to demonstrate.
