Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have dispersed protesters with tear gas in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The protesters, who gathered at the Maitama area of the nation’s capital to express their grievances on Monday morning, were dispersed with tear gas canisters which sent many scampering for safety.
The protest, which is part of a nationwide demonstration spearheaded by the Take-It-Back Movement and other civil society organisations, began earlier in the day to draw attention to several national issues.
According to the organisers, key among their concerns is the alleged misuse of the Cybercrime Act, the worsening economic hardship in the country, and the state of emergency imposed by President Bola Tinubu on Rivers State.
The demonstrators carried placards bearing inscriptions such as “Stop the Repression” and “Let Us Breathe,” as they marched through the streets of the Federal Capital Territory.
Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore was also present at the protest ground to show solidarity with the movement.
In a statement released last week Friday, the National Coordinator of the Take-It-Back Movement, Juwon Sanyaolu, says the protest is aimed at resisting what he termed the “increasing authoritarianism” of the current administration and to demand urgent relief for Nigerians battling inflation and insecurity.
