The Police in Abuja have fired tear gas to prevent #endbadgovernance protesters in the nation’s capital from gaining entry into the Eagles Square.
Protesters in their numbers on Thursday shunned an order by the Federal Capital Territory which restricted the protest to the MKO Stadium in the city.
Justice Sylvanus Oriji gave the order on Wednesday while delivering a ruling in an ex-parte application brought before him by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike.
The protesters, however, marched to the Eagles Square which they initially planned to use to make their voices heard.
As they approached the venue, the police fired tear gas at them, creating a wall of tear gas smoke, which prevented the crowd from moving forward.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Youths Development, Ayodele Olawande, shouted down when he tried to address enraged #EndBadGovernance protesters at Eagle Square in Abuja.
The protesters shouted Olawande down and continued to chant “Hunger dey”, disallowing the Minister from speaking to them.
After calming down the crowd, the Minister said he was not attempting to shut down the protest, describing himself as a fellow Comrade, who had attended between a hundred and five hundred protests in the past.
“I am not here to fight you, I’m not here to ask you not to protest, it is your right. Like I said, I have been to over 100 to 500 protests,” he said.
The Minister also assured that he would address the Police regarding the shooting of teargas canisters against the protesters.
In a similar development, the #endbadgovernance protest in Bauchi State has been disrupted as police fired tear gas at protesters.
The protesters, who had assembled in front of the Emir of Bauchi’s palace, demanded a meeting with the Emir but were stopped by a police barricade.
As the protesters insisted on meeting with the Emir, the police used tear gas to disperse them.
The youths, however, insist that they be allowed to continue their protest.
Economic activities are on standby as the long-awaited #EndBadGovernance protest started in several cities across the nation.
From Abuja to Abeokuta, Port Harcourt to Lagos State, banks, and businesses have been shut. The roads are unusually deserted as protesters defy last-minute push by authorities to stop the demonstrations.
