Nigerian Police have dispersed protesters who are currently converging in some protest grounds with teargas canisters.
A nationwide protest led by Nigerian Youths against the soaring cost of living began on Thursday, August 1st, 2024.
It was gathered that protesters in Lekki Tollgate, Eagle Square in Abuja and Kano were thrown in disarray when officers stationed at different protest grounds fired teargas and Pepper Spray at them.
In Lagos, Nigeria's commercial hub, protests erupted in various locations, with demonstrators kicking off their marches from key points such as Ikeja, Ojota, and Lekki.
Additionally, scattered protests were reported in other areas of the city, indicating a widespread show of dissent across the metropolis.
The police stationed around Lekki tollgate area had kicked against protesters converging there as it was not one of the approved areas because the site is a scene of a “massacre” during the anti-police brutality (#EndSars) protests of 2020.
On July 30, the Lagos State Government obtained a court injunction limiting protesters to designated areas, specifically the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota and Peace Park in Ketu.
The restriction was granted by Justice Emmanuel Ogundare of the Lagos High Court, who ruled in favor of an ex parte application submitted by Lawal Pedro, the State's Attorney-General, effectively confining protests to these two locations.
Meanwhile, it was also learned that the Nigeria Police stationed at the Eagles Square in Abuja also dispersed protesters with canisters and pepper spray.
According to information gathered, police in the morning of the protest shot canisters after first firing warning non-lethal shots at the ground.
This resulted to a confrontation against the Police by an angry protester who came with a baby to the protest ground, daring the officers to shoot.
The situation rapidly intensified as more protesters rallied around her, boldly challenging the officers and taunting them to open fire.
The police retaliated by deploying pepper spray, swiftly followed by teargas canisters in an attempt to quell the demonstration and disperse the crowd.
In Kano, it was also gathered that Officers stationed at the protest ground fired tear gas on Thursday to break up several hundred protesters who tried to light bonfires outside the governor’s office.
