Protests rock some states as troops, policemen beef up security in Abuja, Lagos

Cyril Mbah, Ibrahim Quadri, Tunde Adeleke, Ozumi Abdul, Emmanuel Nlewedum

Armed operatives of the Nigerian Police backed by soldiers on Tuesday used teargas and live bullets to disperse  peaceful #FearlessInOctober protesters marching along major streets and those who assembled at popular assembly points in Abuja.

 

The police operatives violently disrupted gatherings of the peaceful protesters, who were mainly youths by firing teargas and live ammunition at the direction of the demonstrators to prevent them from protesting against the hardship in the country since the emergence of President Bola Tinubu administration.

 

The protesters, who advocated against rising poverty and economic difficulties, were seen running for safety in several areas around Jabi, Utako, Eagle Square and the Unity Fountain areas in the Federal Capital Territory among others as Police threw teargas and shot in the air with live bullets towards the direction of the protesters.

 

Many markets in the city were closed due to fear of a spill over which may result in looting and destruction of properties. The market unions yesterday warned demonstrators to stay clear of the markets in their own interests.

 

No casualties were reported as at the time of filing this report although many FCT residents joined the protests, carrying placards and banners with different inscriptions and messages like “End bad governance now,  “Bad Governance has ended the dreams of Nigerian youths” and “Enough Is Enough – Revolution Now.”

 

A small crowd moved about the streets chanting, “We are hungry,” as they marched, highlighting the difficulties experienced by citizens in meeting basic needs due to rising cost of living, including the soaring price of fuel.

 

Recall that prominent human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, convener of the #RevolutionNow Movement, had called on Nigerians to join the October 1st protest.

 

In a statement, Sowore emphasized the need for action against government policies that have caused widespread suffering, hunger, unemployment, insecurity, and poverty.

 

Sowore, who has faced years of imprisonment and detention for his activism, reiterated that protests are a fundamental right and a vital tool for opposing oppressive government policies.

 

In Lagos protesters on Tuesday morning staged a peaceful demonstration at the Ikeja Underbridge in Lagos State

 

The protest was however closely monitored by a large contingent of security personnel, including policemen, officials of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

 

Leading the team of policemen at the protest ground is the state Commissioner of Police, Olanrewaju Ishola.

 

The protesters chanted solidarity songs, displaying placards bearing inscriptions such as, “Reverse electricity tariff now, “End all attacks on democratic rights”, “Reduce petrol price to N197 per litre; end scarcity”, and “Profit soars while people suffer.”

 

Civil society groups, including Take It Back Movement, Education Rights Campaign, Coalition for Revolution, and Socialist Workers League championed the demonstration.

 

One of the leaders of groups, Comrade Declan Ihekaire led others to sing the old national anthem.

 

The protest marks the second time in two months that angry Nigerians would hit the streets in disapproval of the hardship in the country.

 

Tagged the #FearlessOctober1, the organisers said the demonstration was a continuation of the #Endbadgovernance protest, which took place from August 1 to 10.

 

They added that the latest demonstration was necessitated by the failure of the Federal Government to address their demands, which include hunger in the land, the rising cost of hunger, insecurity, government wastefulness, electoral reforms, and human capital development amongst others.

 

At Osun, Protesters   under the aegis of Coalition of Concerned Nigerian Citizens, on Tuesday, stormed the streets of Osogbo, Osun State, in protest against economic hardship in the country.

 

There was  heavy security presence as the protesters converged at the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, and marched through Oke-fair, Alekuwodo, to Olaiya flyover Osogbo, for the protest tagged “National Day Of Survival”

 

Wielding placards with various inscriptions such as “Place all political office holders on minimum wage,” “Reverse electricity tariff hike,” “implement 70,000 minimum wage,” among others, the protesters decried current economic hardship bedeviling the country .

 

Daily Champion observed the presence of security operatives of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigeria Correctional Services, and among others, in their numbers.

 

Addressing newsmen at the sideline of the protest, the coordinator of the coalition, Adetunji Ajala, stated that the protest is a one-off event aimed at frowning at the government policies.

 

He expressed his satisfaction with the peaceful conduct of the protesters, noting that there was no looting, burning of tire, among other acts capable of causing crisis in the state.

 

He said, “the essence of this protest is to tell the government that we are not happy with its policies and we were able to achieve our objective in a peaceful manner because there was no looting, no burning of tires and there was no attack on any one or personality.

 

“And we were able to exercise our rights as  citizens of this country, and the people who participated were of good conduct and that of the security agencies.

 

“The coalition of concerned Nigeria citizens as the major recognized body for this protest is ending our protest today, because it’s a one day event.”

 

At Kano, five members of the Nigeria Patriotic Front Movement (NPFM) including its National Chairman, Comrade Abdulmajid Yakubu Daudu, have been arrested by the police in Kano State.

 

A statement issued by the NPFM Secretariat and signed by Comrade Al Amin said the activists were arrested and detained after honouring an invitation by the state police commissioner, CP Salman Dogo Garba, for a meeting at 2 pm on Monday.

 

According to the statement: “Following their arrest, the activists were taken from Kano Police Headquarters to the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) in Abuja. Their transfer to Abuja reportedly followed a directive from the Office of the NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

 

“Apart from Comrade Abdulmajid, others suspected to have been arrested are Barrister Yusha’u Sani Yankuzo, Barrister Amina Bello, Comrade Sani NaRogo, Comrade Anas, and Comrade Abdullahi.

 

“The security personnel have seized the mobile phones of the activists.

 

 

“The circumstances of their detention and the nature of the meeting remain unclear, prompting concerns about the rights of political activists in Nigeria and the implications of such police actions.”

 

“Before their arrest, on Sunday, 29 September 2024, Comrade Abdulmajid and his colleagues addressed a press conference in Kano, declaring the commencement of a nationwide National Survival Day protest on October 1, 2024.

 

“The central concerns regarding the protest are the cost of living crisis and the endemic bad governance in the country.

 

“Among the demands raised by Comrade Abdulmajid are fuel pump overpricing; food inflation; high cost of governance at the top; grand corruption; persistent insecurity; Re-nationalisation of the NNPC(L) and electricity distribution services (DISCOs), among others.

 

It was gathered that efforts to get the Force spokesperson, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, and the Kano Command spokesperson, SP Abdullahi Haruna, for comments, were unsuccessful as he did not answer his phone calls or respond to text messages sent to their mobile phones.

 

October 1st protest witness low turnout in Rivers, as Police, thugs disperse protesters

 

In Rivers State, the story was slightly different as few persons turned out for the #FearlessInOctober national protest against bad governance and hardship, on Tuesday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital on Tuesday as there was massive deployment of security operatives to strategic parts of the state.

 

Our correspondent reports that few protesters that came out for the protest despite the warning by the Commissioner of Police, CP Olatunji Disu earlier on, were dispersed by officers of the Rivers State Police, and at some parts of the state, they were chased by suspected political thugs hired by unknown sponsors.

The police also stopped media personnel from taking pictures or videos of the incident.

The protest in Port Harcourt met with stiff opposition from battle-ready policemen who were later joined by some youths suspected to be political thugs, and had arrived the Port Harcourt Pleasure Park along Port Harcourt-Aba Road, where the protesters were gathering and chased them out of their meeting point and took over the area.

 

However, the protesters regrouped again at the Rumuola area but were also dispersed by the same officers.

 

The protesters couldn’t gather again as more youths believed to be against the #October1 protest also occupied between the GRA junction of the Port Harcourt-Aba Road, the Federal Secretariat and the Hotel Presidential, while no fewer than five police patrols manned by armed policemen, soldiers and operatives believed to be from the Department of State Services were spotted there.

One of the anti-protesters who spoke with newsmen said, “We are not protesters. We are waiting for those who want to protest so that we can stop them.”

 

Meanwhile, it was observed that five youths, whose identities or the crime they committed could not be immediately seen, were arrested with their shirts removed and pushed inside a mini-bus near the Federal Secretariat.