The Presidency said the hunger protest in Abuja turned from peaceful to chaos because hoodlums infiltrated the demostration.
Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Community Engagement (North Central), Abiodun Essiet, said this as she launched an online situation report for residents of North Central states to give eyewitness accounts of the ongoing protests in their locations.
Abiodun Essiet said her visit to Nyanya, Karu, Orozo and Karishi informed her statement that hoodlums infiltrated the Abuja protest. She added that no protest was held in Kogi, Kwara and Benue State.
Essiet disclosed this on Saturday, on her X handle, as the #EndBadGovernanceinNigeria protest enters day three.
She wrote, “Today, in Zone A, AMAC (Nyanya, Karu, Orozo, and Karishi ) Abuja, FCT to monitor the situation of things and engage community leaders and police. People are back to their normal daily activities.
Since day one of the protests, My office launched a situation room online for volunteers across North Central to report on ground situations. Kogi, Kwara, Benue have been peaceful no protest. Jos had a peaceful protest. Protest in Abuja was infiltrated by hoodlums.”
Meanwhile, Amnesty International (AI) Saturday afternoon, said police use of teargas and shooting firearms on unarmed protesters was responsible for the chaos recorded in Abuja protest.
AI accused the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command of applying force on unarmed and peaceful protesters who convened at Moshood Abiola Stadium. The human rights group added that the police arrested 50 peaceful protesters.
“The Nigerian authorities must immediately end the ongoing violent crackdown on peaceful protesters who convened at Moshood Abiola Stadium Abuja. The over 50 peaceful protesters arbitrarily arrested across the FCT must be released immediately and unconditionally.
“The shocking and unconscionable use of deadly force on protesters against hunger in the FCT is unacceptable. Those suspected of responsibility must be held to account. People have the right to peacefully demand accountability through protests. This right must be respected,” Amnesty said.
