BREAKING: Nigerian Police Open Fire, Use Teargas on #FearlessInOctober Protesters in Abuja
October 1, 2024
By Okafor Joseph Afam
Nigerian police operatives have attacked citizens in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, who on Tuesday morning participated in the #FearlessInOctober protest. The demonstration, aimed at opposing the worsening hardships and poverty under the Bola Tinubu administration, was disrupted by the police, who fired teargas canisters and live ammunition at the protesters.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing demonstrators scrambling for safety in the Jabi and Utako areas of the city, as officers attempted to disperse the peaceful crowd. Videos circulating on social media captured scenes of chaos, with protesters shouting in distress as they sought cover from the onslaught.
Earlier, reports from SaharaReporters indicated that thousands of Nigerians had joined the protest in Abuja. The demonstrators, chanting “We are hungry,” marched through major roads, holding placards with powerful messages like, “Bad Governance has ended the dreams of Nigerian youths, end it now” and “Enough is Enough – Revolution Now.”
“We are buying fuel at N1000 per liter, and you expect us not to protest? What are we saying? We are hungry,” a protester remarked, capturing the mood of many participants.
The #FearlessInOctober protest was convened by human rights activist and leader of the #RevolutionNow Movement, Comrade Omoyele Sowore. In a passionate appeal on Monday night, Sowore called on Nigerians across the country to join the movement, condemning the widespread hunger, unemployment, insecurity, and poverty that he says have become hallmarks of the Tinubu administration.
Sowore, no stranger to state repression, reminded the public that he has spent five of the last six years in detention, confinement, or under trumped-up charges of treason by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government. He vowed that he would not rest until the government addresses the people’s demands.
“Protests are the only tool we have left to voice our opposition to anti-people policies,” Sowore stated, emphasizing that it is a right enshrined in every citizen’s DNA.
As tensions rise in the capital and across Nigeria, the international community will be closely watching how the government handles the unfolding crisis.
