August 2, 2024
A detachment of fully armed men of the Nigerian Police on Friday morning forcefully dispersed a group of protesters at around the Berger bridge in Abuja.
Some passers-by and motorists who were caught off-guard were heard accusing the police of high-handedness.
In the day 2 of the #endbadgovernance protest, hundreds of protesters converged on different parts of Abuja, including the Berger Roundabout in Wuse Zone 6, as early as 9:06am, before marching to the MKO Abiola Stadium for the second day of the hunger protest.
The protest, led by activists including VeryDarkMan, Deji Adeyanju, and Barr. Kingdom Okere, among others, began at 12:02 pm, with demonstrators chanting slogans like “End Bad Government” and “Bring back Subsidy”. Many held placards that read “We are hungry” and “Tinubu, where is the change?”
Among the protesters was 32-year-old Jane Hingir, who said she joined the protest because she can no longer afford to feed herself. “I’ve been struggling to make ends meet, but it’s getting harder every day,” she said, her voice shaking with emotion.
At 12:39 pm, the protesters set out to march towards Eagle Square, determined to make their voices heard. As they gathered, a helicopter was spotted flying over the stadium, adding to the tense atmosphere.
READ MORE; Hunger Protest: Submit Your Details To Police Commissioners In Your States,IGP Tells Organisers.
Despite a smaller crowd than yesterday, the momentum is building, with more protesters expected to join the demonstration.
Security forces, including personnel from the Army Headquarters Garrison Command, NSCDC, and DSS, are on the scene, with FCT Commissioner of Police, Bennett Igweh, visiting the area earlier.
However, protesters are not being allowed into the stadium premises, and are instead demonstrating on the road leading to the Umar Musa Yar’Adua Expressway, causing a sleepy atmosphere in the city, with businesses and offices still not operating at full capacity
An Abuja high court had earlier granted an injunction seeking to confine protesters to the MKO Abiola National Stadium.
Federal Capital Territory FCT Minister, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike had on Thursday night urged protesters to obey the court order, but leaders of the protesters say they had not been served with a copy of the said order.
