The #FearlessInOctober protesters made good their threat, as they trooped out and took to the streets to protest against escalating economic hardship, poverty, insecurity, and poor leadership.
This is in spite of the hundreds of dignitaries that joined President Bola Tinubu at the forecourt of the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday to mark Nigeria’s 64th Independence Anniversary
However, in Abuja, the police operatives dispersed the protesters at the Utako market area of the Federal capital city with the use of teargas.
The incident took place in the Jabi and Utako areas, forcing residents and protesters to flee for safety.
A video posted on X by News Central Television shows demonstrators running away after the police operatives fired the teargas canisters into the air.
The demonstrators bore banners with different inscriptions, such as “We are hungry” and “Enough is Enough – Revolution Now.”
Some protesters were reportedly injured during the police crackdown.
However, the organisers have not made any official casualty count.
The FCT Police Command had massively deployed personnel and equipment throughout Abuja in anticipation of the protests.
Security operatives also sealed off Eagle Square in Abuja.
A joint team of police and military personnel blocked access to the square, a strategic location near the National Assembly and Presidential Villa.
“These proactive deployments aim to ensure that residents of the FCT enjoy a hitch-free Independence Day celebration,” SP Josephine Adeh, spokesperson of the command had said in a statement.
“The deployment will include Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel, anti-riot equipment, visibility policing, among others.”
According to one of the protesters: “The Nigerian government seeks to repress, suppress, and oppress the Nigerian people to the point where they become too afraid to express their fundamental rights.”
“However, today, we are showing the government through our actions here that our voices can never be silenced. The government should not expect us to remain quiet in the face of our poverty, suffering, insecurity, and poor leadership in every sector. A bag of rice costs about N100,000, and we are buying fuel for over N1,000. And you say that is not enough? No”