ARMED police officers on Friday teargassed peaceful protesters demanding an end to worsening insecurity, the release of abducted schoolchildren, and improved governance in Abuja.
The protesters, led by human rights activist and presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, had set out from Berger Bus Stop and were heading to the Federal Secretariat to present their demands to the government.
As they approached Eagle Square, security operatives stationed in the area fired teargas canisters at close range, dispersing the crowd and causing panic among protesters and passersby.
Sowore was among those affected. Witnesses said he inhaled the fumes and struggled to breathe before collapsing. Fellow protesters quickly moved him away from the scene and rushed to assist him.
The situation worsened when police reportedly fired another round of teargas while Sowore was receiving attention, triggering further confusion and forcing many demonstrators to flee.
Despite the crackdown, protesters later regrouped and continued their march, insisting they would not be intimidated.
Addressing journalists afterward, Sowore said Nigerians must be liberated from what he described as the shackles of oppression.
In a statement posted on X, he alleged that police deployed a “strange gas” at close range during the protest.
“Today, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force deployed a strange gas at the protest ground, at close range which entered my lungs and left me struggling to breathe before I eventually collapsed.
According to him, the incident shows the increasingly dangerous tactics being used to suppress dissents and intimidate citizens exercising their constitutional rights.
“The objective of the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu regime is to silence, destroy, and crush all opposition through fear and force. We shall never succumb to any of his worn-out tactics. We will keep going until we achieve liberation. #RevolutionNOW”
Reacting to the incident, Amnesty International condemned the police action and called for an investigation into the alleged targeting of the activist and others.
“Amnesty International strongly condemns the reckless attack on peaceful protesters today during a Democracy Day protest at Unity Fountain in Abuja in which human rights activist Omoyele Sowore collapsed and was subsequently taken to a hospital. The deliberate targeting of Sowore must be investigated. Such targeting of activists solely for exercising freedom of assembly is unlawful and shows utter disregard for the rule of law.
The organisation accused Nigerian authorities of using violence to crackdown on human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
“President Tinubu’s government has failed to demonstrate commitment to upholding the country’s constitution and its international human rights obligations that allow people to freely exercise their human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”
