In Abuja, as in many other parts of Nigeria, police have been known to disrupt peaceful protests with tear gas. On Friday, a female protester collapsed after officers fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators at the MKO Abiola Stadium.
The protestors initially dispersed when tear gas was deployed. However, two determined individuals remained behind despite the health risks, calling for medical assistance for the young woman who had collapsed. She has since been taken to a hospital for treatment.
Reports indicate that the police in Abuja, consistent with actions elsewhere in Nigeria, frequently use tear gas to disperse peaceful protests, often disregarding the potential health impacts.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that tear gas was used repeatedly against protesters in Abuja on both Thursday and Friday. Despite this, demonstrators regrouped each time and pledged to continue their protest as part of the “10 Days of Rage” organized by protest leaders.
Incident Details
Around 5:00 p.m. on Friday, peaceful demonstrators, who were moving and chanting to music from a van, were encircled by police. The officers then fired multiple rounds of tear gas at the crowd and the journalists covering the protest.
In the ensuing chaos, some protesters and journalists fell into a roadside drainage channel while trying to escape. Several sustained injuries, and the young woman later collapsed on the grassy sidewalk near the stadium’s fence.
One police officer was overheard saying, “This is Abuja, we will show them what we are made of.”
The police eventually withdrew, leaving some protesters to seek help from passersby. Following the incident, the protesters were unable to regroup. By 6:00 p.m., only heavily armed police remained at the main entrance of the MKO Abiola Stadium.
Audience Survey
The day’s protests marked the second day of the “10 Days of Rage” demonstration, with demands including the reinstatement of petrol subsidies and a reduction in the salaries and allowances of public officials.
This article is sourced from The Premium Times, with minor edits and adaptations by The Spectacles for clarity and readability.
