#RevolutionNow Protest Leaves Scores Injured As Police Clampdown on Protesters

Many of the #RevolutionNow protesters and journalists were injured, arrested and brutalised by the men of the Nigeria Police Force during protests against the alleged ineptitude of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration on Monday.

Recall that the initiator of the idea, Omoyele Sowore was arrested by the Department of State Service (DSS) over the plan mass action. But the group insisted that the protest will hold as planned yesterday.

The protesters who demanded the release of Sowore, being detained by DSS which alleged that the action is “threatening national security and public safety”.

READ: #RevolutionNow: The ‘Abduction’ of Sowore Shows Nigeria sliding to Dark Days of Military Regime – Deji Adeyanju

The protests according to the groups, is a civil advocacy and democratic action convened to challenge “the ravenous revolution of the ruling elite that have for decades put our nation and the common man in bondage.”

After urging Nigerians to come out in their large numbers for the protests on Monday,  Nigerians in Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja, Ondo and Osogbo trooped out in large numbers for the protests, and some protesters also took the action to the Nigerian High Commission in London.

The UK protesters also demanded Sowore’s release, adding that Instead of detaining Sowore, they security operatives should vent their anger on the Boko Haram fighters in the Sambisa Forest and kidnappers troubling Nigerians.

Despite heavy security presence, they also converged at Ojuelegba in Lagos, at 7am from where they moved to the National Stadium, Surulere where they were prevented from entering the stadium by a team of OP MESA consisting men of the army, navy, air force, and policemen from different formations in Lagos, who had barricaded the facility.

Some of the protesters engaged the policemen in a war of words, as they insisted that the demonstration was for the interest of all Nigerians. This made the furious policemen fired tear gas canisters into the crowd.

READ: #RevolutionNow Organisers Dare FG, Plan to Go Ahead With Protest

Many of the protesters were injured in the melee as some fled into the waiting hands of men of the Lagos State Taskforce on Environment and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit, who hauled them into their Black Maria.

Reporter of Sahara Reporters, a United States-based online medium owned by Sowore were among those arrested.

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