The men of the Nigerian police have fired tear gas on protesters at Eagle Square, Abuja. In the early morning of August 1st, 2024, Nigerians converged at the Mashood Abiola National Stadium in protest against the policies of the government. Following a court order from the Federal High Court Abuja issued on July 31, 2024, restricting the protest of August 1st to the stadium, the police and other security agencies ordered that the protest be restricted only to the stadium and also requested that citizens move into the stadium.
At about 10:00 am, protesters moved from the stadium after being faced with a counterprotest deployed to disrupt the protest. The protesters had to move from the stadium in defiance of the court order. Escorted by the men of the security agencies, the protesters head towards the Eagle Square, which was the area of the original convergence. On getting to Eagle Square, protesters were faced with heavy military and paramilitary confrontations, which eventually led to the police firing tear gas on harmless protesters.
Within the men of the security agencies, there were complaints by some who were dissatisfied with the actions of fellow police officers and that there was no need to shoot at anyone because of the peaceful nature of the protest. As the protest continues, the population of the crowd continues to grow, with concerned Nigerians comping at Eagle Square. As of the time of writing this message, two IEDs had already been detonated, which scared protesters. This was also accompanied by gunshots aimed in the air. Some protesters were spotted throwing back the tear gas at the security operatives.
Thus far, no public property has been vandalized and no live have been lost, but the police have not stopped shooting tear gas on protesters and men of the press. As we anticipate the protest will continue as planned for the next nine days, we pray it remains peaceful. At VOTP News, we will continue to bring you life updates firsthand.
