To the chagrin of the watching international community, heavily armed soldiers and police men disrupt the October 1, 2024 hunger protests in Nigeria
By Udoka Ekeleme, Abuja
Jude Nzennaya, Port-Harcourt
Many protesters against bad governance had a raw deal in the hands of the army, police, other security agents as well as political thugs deployed by the authorities to disrupt the #FearlessInOctober protest, on Tuesday, October 1, 2024. The security operatives hounded protesters in mostly Rivers, Kano and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
While the protesters struggled to actualise their vow of going ahead with the protest with various themes, such as ‘#FearlessInOctober’, and ‘#National Day of Survival,’ the tough-talking security agents, especially the Police, kept their part of “ensuring law and order” and took steps to abort or crush the protest.
The outcome was a crackdown on the protesters, of which five leaders were arrested in Kano. They were also tear-gassed and chased about in Abuja and Port Harcourt.
As usual, there were peaceful protests in Lagos, Ibadan and Ondo, with the organisers and their collaborative Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), vowing to sustain the struggle against bad governance in the country.
The October 1 protest is a continuation of the #EndBadGovernance protests held between August 1 and 10, 2024 in response to the economic hardship being experienced by many Nigerians.
The #EndBadGovernance protests were met with resistance from security operatives, setting the stage for yesterday’s confrontation.
For example, in Rivers State, Police and suspected political thugs dispersed the protesters in Port Harcourt. The police also stopped media personnel from taking pictures or videos of the incident.
The Police had earlier warned residents of the state to shun all activities that could jeopardize peace in the state during the 64th Independence Day celebration, with the state’s Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, promising adequate security during the celebration, and deploying personnel to many strategic places in the city.
The protest in Port Harcourt met with stiff opposition from fierce-looking policemen who had arrived at the scene of the protest on time.
As protesters were gathering at the popular Pleasure Park on the busy Port Harcourt-Aba Expressway, the policemen arrived with some youths suspected to be political thugs, who promptly chased the protesters out of their meeting point, and took over the area.
Yet undaunted, the resolute protesters were to regroup at the Rumuola area of the state, but the operatives came and dispersed them again.
The police mounted heavy security checks on the two locations and other areas suspected to be a new meeting ground for the protesters.
Also in Kano, a coalition and pan-Nigerian movement, under the aegis of Nigeria Patriotic Front Movement (NPFM), Northern chapter, alleged that five of its leaders were arrested.
In a statement signed by Mr. Al-Amin, the NPFM identified those arrested as Mr. Abdulmajid Daudu, Mr. Yusha’u Sani Yankuzo, Mr. Amina Bello, Mr. Sani NaRogo, Mr. Anas and Mr. Abdullahi.
The coalition alleged that those arrested were taken away by the Police to Abuja under the instruction of the National Security Adviser, NSA.
According to the group, “Mr. Abdulmajid Yakubu Daudu left his office this afternoon (Monday) at around 2:30 pm to attend a meeting with the Kano State Commissioner of Police at the Bompai Headquarters of the Force.
He was with four other members of the NPFM when he left his office for the meeting with the Commissioner. As of 7:42pm, Mr. Abdulmajid and his colleagues have not returned. Their whereabouts is unknown. All efforts to reach them have proved abortive.
“We urge comrades across the country to help us raise the alarm until Comrade Abdulmajid and his colleagues safely return home.
“The growing state of political repression in the country makes this call for Kano State Commissioner of Police to produce Abdulmajid and his colleagues more urgent,” the coalition said.
Abdulmajid and his colleagues were said to have over the weekend, addressed a press conference in Kano, declaring commencement of the nationwide National Survival Day protest on October 1, 2024.
Instructively, the central concerns regarding the protest are the cost of living crisis and the endemic bad governance in the country.
Among the demands raised by Abdulmajid were fuel overpricing, food inflation, high cost of governance, grand corruption; persistent insecurity, re-nationalisation of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and electricity distribution services, DISCOs, among others.
The Abuja crackdown on protesters by security operatives was alarming. In Abuja, the police fired canisters of tear gas at hundreds of protesters participating in the #FearlessInOctober demonstration against poverty, hardship, and bad governance.
The first crackdown, which occurred in the Jabi and Utako areas of the FCT, forced residents and protesters to scamper for safety.
Eye-witnesses reported seeing protesters injured during the police crackdown, but organisers have not released an official casualty figures.
Demonstrators carried banners and placards, with such inscriptions as “We are hungry” and “Enough is Enough – Revolution Now.”
Before they were dispersed, one of the protesters was heard saying, “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 at over N1,000 (per litre). And you say that is not enough? No.”
Protesters started gathering at the Utako Market in Abuja as early as 7 am for the protest but Policemen dispersed them at about 8:54 am.
In the same vein, security forces sealed off Eagle Square, a popular national venue, and dispersed demonstrators, escalating tensions between protesters and the government in the nation’s capital.
The crackdown, involved heavily armed police and military personnel blocking all access roads to the square, a strategic location near the National Assembly and Presidential Villa that symbolizes Nigeria’s seat of power.
Even though it was not used for Independence Day celebrations, the government’s decision to seal off Eagle Square has raised concerns among protesters about their freedom of assembly and expression.
Security agents were patrolling Abuja, searching for protesters to arrest.
Eagle Square’s significance lies in its role as the venue for presidential inaugurations, independence celebrations and historic gatherings.
