Protesters have scampered for safety at the Eagle Square Abuja after police shot teargas canisters and pepper spray to disperse them.
The protest is taking place amid tight security presence.
Elsewhere at the Nyanya/Maraba axis, angry youths barricaded the express road with bonfire after one of the protesters was shot by a trigger happy police officer.
As at the time of this report, the victim was rushed to an undisclosed hospital for medical attention, by his colleagues.
It was observed that the battle-ready security operatives comprising men of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigerian Army, Civil Defence Corps and others, are in strategic positions at the Eagle Square
Addressing the protesters, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, who was not wearing his name tag, directed them to join other protesters at the MOKO Abiola Stadium.
Defying the order, the police shot teargas to disperse protesters.
At the Eagle Square, an angry protester confronted the police officers, holding up a baby and daring the officers to shoot.
The aggrieved mother told journalists that she was protesting because her husband was killed by bandits who had kidnapped him.
The protest took a different dimension at the Nyanya/Maraba axis of the FCT as youths barricade the express road after one of them was shot by a police officer.
Following the incident, the angry youths mobilized and dared the police to kill them as the chant anti-government lyrics.
They took over the express road and barricade same with bonfire from used motor tyres.
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has restricted participants in the August 1, hunger protest against the federal government to the MKO Abiola stadium, also known as National Stadium.
The order of Justice Sylvanus Oriji was sequel to an ex-parte motion filed by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike.
Chief James Onoja (SAN) who moved the motion on behalf of Wike argued that the reliefs sought were for the interest of national security.
Wike had applied for an order of interim injunction restraining the five leaders of the protesting groups from gathering or parading themselves along any roadway, streets, offices and public premises within the FCT between August 1 to August 10, or any other day thereafter, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
He also applied for another order of interim injunction mandating the security agencies to prevent the protesting leaders from gathering or parading themselves along any roadway, offices or public premises within the FCT between August 1 and 10, pending the hearing of his motion on notice.
The Minister who said that the federal government was not averse to the protest claimed that intelligence and security reports reaching him indicated that some elements within the leadership of the protesters intend to capitalize on the planned protest to cause havoc and irreparable damages to public facilities and blocking of roadways to prevent movement of persons and vehicles and disturb public peace.
He claimed that when he contacted the security agencies to ensure that the planned protest did not degenerate into criminality and disturbance of public peace and order, he was told that they are not well equipped to manage any crisis that may arise from the planned protest at a short notice hence they advised him that prevention is better than cure.
The Minister tendered an exhibit from the “Take it Back Movement, FCT”, signed by one Damilare Adenola, in which they threatened to invade the Presidential Villa and also threatened to pull down the outer wires facing the Aso Rock villa during the protest
Besides, they demanded that the FCT provide them light as well as toilet during the duration of the protest.
In his ruling, Justice Oriji, who recognized the rights of the protesters to embark on the protest, however restricted them to the Stadium in view of the genuine fears expressed by the minister.
“In the light of the above, the court considers it appropriate and expedient to grant an order under the omnibus or general prayer to ensure that the rights of the protesters are guaranteed and that the protest does not negatively or adversely affect the rights of other citizens to move about and to ensure that that properties and other public facilities are not destroyed”, the judge held.
He therefore ordered the 1st to 5th respondents to “use the Moshood Abiola Stadium” only for the protest.
