Police Attack On Protesters In Abuja, Rivers State, Is Despicable – HURIWA

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has described the action of the Nigeria police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Port Harcourt, Rivers State on October 1, 2024, on peaceful protesters against hunger and harsh economic policies of the Federal Government as despicable and reprehensible.

Accordingly, HURIWA condemned in strong terms the FCT and Rivers state police commands for attacking peaceful protesters with teargas canisters.

HURIWA noted that the police attacked the protesters who assembled as early as 7:00 am to protest against the unbearable economic hardship, hunger, high cost of pump price of fuel and electricity tariff as well as spiral inflation among others being faced by Nigerians, which they attribute to government policies and programs.

A statement by Emmanuel Onwubiko, National Coordinator of HURIWA, noted that the decision of the FCT police command that forcefully dispersed the protesters at around 8:54 a.m., prevented the continuation of the demonstration.

According to HURIWA; “The October 1 protest is part of a larger movement, building on the #EndBadGovernance protests held between August 1 and 10. Both protests were organized in response to the ongoing economic struggles and dissatisfaction with governance in Nigeria.

“Despite the early dispersal, the #FearlessInOctober protest reflects the growing discontent among Nigerians, many of whom are calling for immediate action to address the nation’s economic challenges”.

HURIWA also carpeted the Rivers state police command for similarly attacking peaceful protesters in Port Harcourt just as the Rights group said it is possible that the police in Rivers state are working in tandem with armed hoodlums who took part in attacking the peaceful protesters and thereafter occupying the places whereby the protesters had gathered peacefully.

It further said said the attack by police with teargas canisters on peaceful protesters, was a provocation aimed at drawing the protesters to react so the armed police can have the immediate reason to then open fire with lethal weapons like the police did all over the Country during the August nationwide protests against bad governance.

HURIWA said; “We are worried that the Nigeria Police Force has over the years, become the enemies of democracy and freedoms and have increasingly become the willing tools and the armed wing of the All Progressives Congress (APC) which are often deployed to kill off Nigerians who dare challenge the oppressors that have unleashed devastating destruction on the economy of Nigeria thereby dismantling the economic activities of millions of Nigerians who are now unemployed, dejected, deprived, starving and massively hungry”.