Officers of the Nigerian Police Force on Friday fired teargas canisters at protesters assembling at the popular Berger roundabout in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
According to a Channels TV correspondent at the location where protesters gathered, journalists covering the procession were not spared, as they were also tear-gassed.
*Controversial social media critic, Martin Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has alleged that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is attempting to bully the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protesters by restricting them to the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
VeryDarkMan, who spoke moments before police teargassed protesters at the Berger Roundabout in Abuja on Friday, said they had no need to go to the stadium since they were not footballers like Victor Osimhen or Jay Jay Okocha.
He called on President Bola Tinubu to address them.
He warned the protesters against violence, stating that he would personally hand over any protesters who caused any form of violence to the police.
In Lagos, the #Endbadgovernance protesters on Friday gathered in front of Gani Fawehunmi Park ,Ojota in Lagos State for the continuation of the much-publicised protests against hardship, reports the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The protesters, who claimed to be concerned Nigerians, said that their position on the protest had not changed .
NAN reports that the groups, which had earlier refused to enter the park after staying on the ever busy Ojota-Ikorodu for about three hours, moved to the area at about 11.03 a.m.
The protesters had earlier claimed that there were agents around the park planning to attack them .
The Assistant Commissioner of Police, Area Commander F Ikeja, Mr Paul Okafor, who spoke on behalf of the security personnel at the park, assured the protesters of their safety.
“The police and other security here are deployed to give you protection.
“We are expecting the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Mr Adegoke Fayoade, who will address you all when he comes.
“We urge all protesters to exercise their rights within the laws. Trouble makers are not welcome here.
“There was the other group who came before now trying to cause problem, I spoke to them and they left. Everything is okay,” he said.
NAN further reports that the police, personnel of the Department of State Services, Civil Defence, Lagos State Taskforce, Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps were on ground to provide security, while men of OP MESA,the military component of the state’s security architecture ,were seen patrolling the area.
NAN reports that a DJ was at the venue entertaining protesters with different rave songs.
Meanwhile, in Rivers State, protesters in Port Harcourt have stormed the Federal Secretariat, Aba Expressway and confronted police officers stationed to protect them.
They were heard chanting ‘hungry dey, hungry dey, hungry dey’, while approaching police officers on duty. (Pieced together from reports by NAN and other news outlets)
SOURCE: NEWS EXPRESS.
