Scene showing tear gas fired to disperse protesters. Credit: Sahara Reporters
By James
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Security operatives on Monday fired tear gas canisters at protesters, including human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, who had gathered in Abuja to demand the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
The protest, tagged #ReleaseNnamdiKanuNow, was planned to take off from the Transcorp Hilton area and other parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), but was disrupted as police officers moved in early, firing multiple rounds of tear gas to disperse participants and passersby.
The operatives, who had cordoned off the hotel and adjoining streets, began firing tear gas even before protesters arrived in large numbers.
Our correspondent had observed a visibly tightened atmosphere across the city on the way this morning.
Soldiers, police, and operatives of the Department of State Services were deployed to key locations, including the Three Arms Zone, Eagle Square, Federal Secretariat, Unity Fountain, and routes leading to Aso Rock.
Dailytrust also reported that the police dispersed the protesters with live bullets
According to the report, the protesters, led by the convener of the #RevolutionNow movement and former Presidential candidate of African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, gathered as early as 6:50am around the headquarters of Women Affairs ministry.
Daily Trust reports that the security forces drawn from the Nigerian police, Guards Brigade, Department of State Services (DSS) and NSCDC, had beefed up security around Presidential Villa, since Sunday.
They mounted road blocks at strategic places leading to the Presidential Villa, National Assembly, Court of Appeal Headquarters, Force Headquarters and the popular Eagle Square.
Before the beef up, the protesters had vowed to march to the Presidential Villa to press home their demands regarding the continued detention of the IPOB leader.
Our correspondent reports that as the protesters marched around the Court of Appeal, the operatives fired different shots.
The protesters had earlier thought the police officers, who were preventing them from advancing further wanted to fire teargas cannisters at them but they fled when live bullets were being released from different directions.
Earlier, Sowore and some of the protesters had shouted at the police, saying, “Don’t teargas us! Don’t teargas us! Respect rule of law! We have rights to protest, we’re Nigerians.”
As at when filing this report, the military Armoured Personal Carriers from the Guards, Nigerian police and the DSS were still stationed at those strategic locations. Punch/Daily Trust
