Police arrest protesters in Abuja, disperse crowd with teargas

Hundreds of protesters gathered at the Moshood Abiola stadium in Abuja for the ongoing #Endbadgovernance protest were arrested by the Nigerian police on Saturday morning.

The peaceful assembly was disrupted when police fired teargas canisters at the crowd, which included journalists.

Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, convener of the Revolution Now movement, confirmed the violent attack, tweeting:

“BREAKING: @PoliceNG arrive scene of Abuja #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria to attack activists, @OfficialDSSNG on their way too with govt sponsored thugs to do the same thing.”

Despite the clampdown, protesters have continued to demonstrate since August 1, seeking an end to inflation, food inflation, and rising living costs.

The government has alleged that the protests are sponsored, but has failed to provide evidence.

This is not the first instance of police brutality against protesters in the federal capital territory, with previous incidents sparking widespread condemnation and concern among stakeholders.

On the first day of the protests, demonstrators marched to Eagles Square despite police attacks and teargas.