Despite President Bola Tinubu’s plea to the organisers of the EndBadGovernance Protesters to ‘sheath their swords’ and embrace dialogue in the interest of the country, pro- and anti-government protesters in their numbers stormed the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Surulere, Abuja, to continue with their demands from the President, whom they accused of neglecting the fuel subsidy removal, which has resulted in an economic downturn for the majority of Nigerians.
The protesters accused Tinubu of arrogantly flaunting his unseen achievements and chest-beating about government policies that have not made any tangible impact on the lives of the citizens.
Chanting solidarity songs and demanding urgent interventions to arrest the sliding economy, the protesters advised the President to save the economy from further distress by announcing a reduction in the price of gasoline, providing security for farmers to access their farms, and bringing up to speed the running of the four refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna, and Warri to meet local consumption and generate foreign investments for the country.
The Nigerian Tribune observed the joint heavy security presence of men of the Nigerian Army, DSS, Police, and Civil Defence within and around the perimeter fence of the stadium to check the excesses of the protesters as well as protect national assets.
Things, however, went awry when some people arrived in about seven coaster buses chanting ‘war’ songs, which added to the already tense situation at the stadium. The police responded immediately by firing tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd and bring things under control.
Two Civil Defence officers who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune commended the maturity displayed by the combined team of security agents. They said they will continue to carry out their duties in line with the dictates of the law and as contained in the speech delivered by the President on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Tribune observed security presence at the Kugbo axis of the Abuja-Keffi expressway as well as the stationing of armoured personnel carrier (APC) vehicles under the Mogadishu Cantonment (also known as Abacha Barracks) overhead bridge leading to the city to forestall any breakdown of law and order.
The protest has also forced some filling stations to shut their gates to motorists, thereby giving black marketers a field day and selling a litre of fuel between N800 and N1,000, depending on the location.
Security agents were also seen at the Appeal Court and Federal Ministry of Finance junctions to the Federal Secretariat directing motorists on where to follow.
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