BLOODY SATURDAY ! At least 13 Innocent Nigerian Protesters Die As Police Brutally Fired Shots And Tear Gas
On Saturday morning, a harrowing account emerged from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, where a protester detailed a violent encounter with the police. The video, obtained by SaharaReporters, shows the distressing events that unfolded near the National Hospital.
The protest was part of the ongoing #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria movement, where demonstrators gathered to demand better governance. The individual in the video recounted how the police responded aggressively to their peaceful protest. According to the protester, the police had set up barricades and, without provocation, began attacking the protesters with iron rods and large wooden planks. The situation quickly escalated as the officers used live ammunition and tear gas against the crowd.
The protester, who was holding a Nigerian flag at the time, described the chaos. ” We went for our protest this morning, as usual, demanding good governance. We approached the National Hospital when the police barricaded us. They attacked us and shot at us several times. We had no choice but to scatter and flee towards the National Stadium, ” he explained.
Despite their attempts to regroup and take stock of the situation at the National Stadium, the protesters faced renewed aggression from the police. ” They confronted us again with live ammunition, so we fled into the bushes once more. When we regrouped at the National Stadium, we tried to remain calm, singing our national anthem and assessing who was missing, ” the protester continued.
The situation deteriorated further when the police deployed tear gas at the protesters who were still in the stadium. ” We were at the National Stadium, the designated protest point, and we even knelt down, begging the officers to stop the violence. Despite our peaceful stance, one policeman aimed directly at me with a firearm while I was holding the Nigerian flag. He fired at me from no more than 15 to 20 feet away, hitting me on the forehead, ” he recounted.
The protester fell to the ground and briefly lost consciousness. When he regained awareness, he found himself struggling to breathe, with the police continuing their assault on those lying on the ground. ” I barely escaped with my life. They kept hitting us with iron rods and wooden planks, and we had to make a desperate run into the bushes were we discovered that 13 people were killed during the gunshot and where they throw tear gas. I’ m thankful I found my way back to safety, but our thoughts are with the families of the Martyrs” he said.
The protester’ s account raises serious questions about the right to peaceful assembly and the treatment of citizens exercising this fundamental right. ” Is it no longer permissible to protest in Nigeria? We are treated as if we are criminals, and even criminals don’ t deserve such treatment. It’ s heartbreaking to see our situation deteriorate to this extent, ” he lamented.
This incident highlights a troubling trend of excessive force by law enforcement against peaceful protesters. The actions of the police have drawn significant concern from human rights advocates and the general public, who are calling for a thorough investigation into the use of violence during the protest.
