Despite a court order procured by the Federal Capital Administration, restricting protesters to the National Stadium, thousands of hungry and angry Abuja residents moved in procession from the Stadium through the Constitution Avenue down to the Federal Secretariat, despite attempts by the police to disperse them by shooting several cans of tear gas canisters.
A federal capital territory (FCT) high court had on Wednesday, issued an order restricting protesters to the MKO Abiola stadium in Abuja.
Sylvanus Oriji, the presiding judge, gave the order in an ex parte motion brought by Nyesom Wike, minister of the FCT.
Wike sued Omoyele Sowore, Damilare Adenola, Adama Ukpabi, Tosin Harsogba, and persons unknown as 1st to 5th defendants.
Having gathered at the premises of the National Stadium, on Thursday morning, some of the protesters engaged police personnel in a heated argument, when the FCT Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igwe insisted that they enter into the main bowl of the national stadium as ordered by the court.
But one the organizers, Deji Adeyanju who said that he is yet to see a copy of the court order, told the police Chief that the Court ordered the protesters to be in the stadium and that as far as he is concerned, the protesters has complied with the order.
The protesters carried placards with several inscriptions like ‘Hunger is enough,’ and ‘End bad governance in Nigeria’ as they matched down to the seat of government.
The protesters, undeterred by the show of force by the security operatives, regrouped at the Finance Junction on Ahmadu Bello Way, and continued to chant the #EndBadGovernment slogan, insisting that they are equal stakeholders in the Federal Capital Territory.
The security agencies’ decision to deploy teargas canisters in an attempt to disperse the protesters has only seemed to galvanize the crowd, with more and more people joining the demonstration by the hour.
Speaking with our reporter, an FCT resident who identified himself as Emmanuel Larry said hunger forced him to come out on Thursday morning.
He insisted that the government must heed their demands, saying contrary to some speculations that the protests won’t hold, the demonstrations will be held from August 1 to August 10.
“Today is the hunger day, we all promise you that we are going to be the streets of Abuja. Hunger has brought me out, I don’t have money to buy fuel.
“I don’t have money to buy whatever, there is total bad governance. The government has used propaganda and fake news to tell you that the protests have been cancelled.
“The protests have not been cancelled, we are on the street. It is for 10 days. If our demands are not being met, we will remain on the streets. Hunger, insecurity, and poor housing have brought me out. A lot of things are going on in this country, he said.”
Meanwhile, Police operatives have arrested a young man clutching a knife, as a protest against Nigeria’s worst cost of living crisis in decades, picks up pace across the country.
The man, dressed in a wine and white T-shirt, looked terrified which attracted the attention of the police operatives that searched him and found him with a knife around the National Stadium in Abuja. He was arrested and taken away by the police into an unknown destination.
The 10 days protest was sparked by widespread anger, hunger, economic hardship and they are calling on government to reduce the restore the fuel subsidy regime and return fuel price to N100/litre.
Tagged #EndbadGovernanceinNigeria, the protest movement has won support with an online campaign among Nigerians who are battling with food inflation at 40 percent and fuel prices that have tripled since Tinubu introduced his reforms.
