BY DAVID ADUGE-ANI, ABUJA
The grand finale of the 10–day nationwide protests, tagged #EndBadGovernance, was held on Saturday August 10, 2024.
The protest ragged, One Million Man Rally, saw a massive turnout of citizens from all walks of life, with demonstrations taking place in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
In Abuja, the nation’s capital, protesters gathered at two venues, Apo district and Lokogoma district, for a one-million-man rally.
Security operatives, however, cracked down on protesters in Abuja who came out to fulfill their vow to hold a one million-man march to mark the 10th day and end of the #EndBadGovernance protest, which started on August 1.
The protesters, who had initially planned to converge on the MKO Abiola National Stadium and the Eagle Square, were forced to change their plans due to a heavy police and military presence at both venues.
Undeterred, they streamed to Apo and Lokogoma, where they displayed placards and chanted slogans against bad governance.
The City Centre also witnesses heavy security presence as security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were seen in strategic places in parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) centre, such as Berger Junction, Eagle Square, MKO Abiola Stadium and other strategic locations.
The demonstrators had assembled in large numbers as early as 7:00 a.m., but were later dispersed by armed police officers, who used tear gas and live ammunition.
They were marching from Ebano Supermarket to Galadimawa junction when the police officers arrived, approximately three hours later, deploying tear gas and live bullets to break up the gathering.
The crowd fled for safety during the assault, although fortunately, no lives were lost.
Speaking to journalists, one of the protesters said: “We started at 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. before they scattered us. We started around Ebano Supermarket at that junction and marched to the Galadimawa roundabout. Before we could get to the Galadimawa roundabout, police came with their usual trademark and chased us away.
“They didn’t shoot live bullets at us directly, but tear gas was directly fired at us. But since they started shooting guns, no one can tell if they will start killing us if we don’t run.
“We are not scared of teargas and arrest, sir. If they didn’t shoot live bullets, they wouldn’t be able to scatter us. We want to live to see the country we are fighting for. So, we couldn face bullets, and that was why we ran.
‘’But today hasn’t marked the end of the protest. We will continue to protest until our demands are attended to. The most essential is the reversal of the removal of fuel subsidy, which is the major reason we are where we are now.”
Another protester, who identified himself as Rasheed, said: “This protest is just the beginning of what’s to come if the government continues to ignore our demands. We will regroup and return even stronger. Personally, this country has taken so much from me that I fear nothing and have nothing to lose. Nigerian youths are simply asking for good governance. It’s not rocket science; we deserve to enjoy our homeland.”