Nigeria
Abuja Protest: Woman Collapses During Police Dispersal
In Abuja, police disperse peaceful protesters, leading to a woman’s collapse. Read about the circumstances and responses to this incident.
Despite the chaos caused by police’s release of numerous tear gas rounds, two resolute protesters stayed behind to aid a young woman who had collapsed. The crowd swiftly dispersed in response.
Afterward, the woman was transported to a medical facility for care.
Like other areas in Nigeria, the Abuja police commonly employ tear gas to disrupt peaceful demonstrations without considering possible health hazards.
Protesters in Abuja were subjected to multiple uses of tear gas by the police on Thursday and Friday, as stated in a report published on Obasanjonews.com.
In spite of this, the demonstrators persisted in reforming their group and pledged to persist with their daily protests within the 10-day campaign devised by activists.
Details of the Incident
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Around 5:00 p.m. on Friday, a group of demonstrators peacefully marched and chanted with music playing from a moving van.
However, their pathway was blocked when police officers surrounded them from both ends near the stadium roadway – leaving them trapped there.
Suddenly, the protesters who were being covered by journalists and heavily equipped police officers had multiple rounds of tear gas fired at them.
As they sought to flee from the tear gas, certain demonstrators and reporters tumbled into drainage ditches lining the road.
In all the commotion, a number of protesters sustained injuries while a youthful lady crumpled onto the grass next to the stadium’s perimeter fence.
Following the police’s departure from the location, several protesters were observed soliciting assistance from bystanders. However, by 6:00 p.m., exclusively heavily weaponized law enforcement officials could be detected at MKO Abiola Stadium’s primary entrance, preventing any demonstration continuity for protestors.
