From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja, and Lukman Olabiyi, Lagos
Security operatives, yesterday, cracked down on protesters in Abuja who came out to fulfill their vow to hold a one million-man march to mark the 10th day and end of the #EndBadGovernance protest, which started on August 1.
The demonstrators began to assemble in large numbers as early as 7:00 a.m., but were later dispersed by armed police officers, who used tear gas and live ammunition.
They were marching from Ebano Supermarket to Galadimawa junction when the police officers arrived, approximately 3 hours later, deploying tear gas and live bullets 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 9:00 p.m. before they scattered us. We started around Ebano Supermarket at that junction and marched 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 we 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 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.”
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 the police and other security forces, who shot at peaceful demonstrators and journalists during the fresh three days of the exercise.
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, therefore, continued the protest.
Meanwhile, Lagos State witnessed little impact from the scheduled one-million-man march yesterday.
Despite the organizers’ expectations for a large turnout, residents largely avoided the protest.
Business activities across the state, including in the Island, Mainland, and in Ikeja, continued without disruptions, reflecting the public’s reluctance to participate.
Therefore, intended final showdown of the #EndBadGovernance protests failed to garner significant attention.
In response to potential unrest, security forces, including police, civil defense, and military units, were heavily deployed in Ojota, the designated protest ground, and other key areas.
This substantial security presence was aimed to maintain order and swiftly address any emerging issues, which did not arise.