The policemen sitting inside a police van by the junction of Eagles Square suddenly jumped out of their vehicle immediately I drove up to them. I motioned to one inspector asking where I could park my car but instead, he brought out his riot gunner and fired a shot close to my car window.
The teargas hit its mark, that is hundreds of young people who immediately scattered around. Some jumping over bridges, others falling over themselves. The policeman reloaded his gunner and then I began to scream “ stop, please wait, wait.” If he heard I cannot tell as he fired another one, this time it landed in front of my car.
That was Day One of the #EndBadGovernance protest. And there I was right in the middle of it. But how did a protest that began on a bright note with friendly banters between protesters and security men turn bloody?
How it happened
I arrived at Eagle Square Abuja very early on August 1, 2024. Despite the court ruling a day earlier restricting the protest against hardship and hunger to the main bowl of the national stadium, discussions on social media said people would gather at Eagles Square.
I met inspector Yaro and quickly befriended him. He said some senior officers were inside the eagles Square which at 8:am was already teeming with riot ready police men, across the street, two military vans with armed tough looking soldiers were stationed. At the front of the Square, about 10 youths sat, lost in thoughts and looking worried.
A boy was making a call, two others were cautiously protesting and recording themselves, Channels TV crew arrived, the camera man, a big, bearded arrogant looking fellow jumped down surveyed the scene and left. Then more people including a woman who came with her infant arrived.
This attracted the police inside the square and they came to talk to the small crowd telling them the only approved venue was the National Stadium. More reporters arrived, ICIR, the SUN, the CABLE. The youths then decided to march around the square, the police met them with two teargas cannisters.
The woman with the infant screamed that her baby had died. Someone rushed to take the baby away from her.
I met about 10 coaster buses at the entrance to the stadium, it had conveyed almost 100 youths from Mararaba, Masaka and environs to protest against the protest. I met AB, yes the man in the viral video and yes that was my voice.
I interviewed his partner John Efleke Tumbo, he said “we must take life easy, today there is no protest, upon hunger and everything , we are still surviving, eating well. Everyone came out voluntary” but later the people said they were paid N5000 each to protest.
On the other side are the real protesters in their hundreds. In the middle, policemen and others created a buffer. Everything went well. I spoke to some of the senior officers who said they were there to arrest anyone who want to hijack the protest, there was so much banter and solidarity between protesters and police.
Then someone mentioned that to avoid confrontation with the anti-protest group, the protesters should move to Eagles Square and everyone agreed.
Earlier, the FCT Commissioner of Police had warned that nobody should leave the stadium and there will be consequences if they do. But tension was brewing between the two groups and in one voice they moved, in orderly fashion singing “jeje we dey go”. I followed in the convoy, the security operatives followed too.
Blood , bullets and sweat
More people joined as we moved towards Eagles Square, there was music, there was dancing, water and bread shared freely. There was so much hope and then hell happened.
As the officer threw a tear gas at my car, the smoke came through the car blinding momentarily, then a police man shouted at me “ don’t go over it please”, he then opened the barricade and led me to park in a safe space. I watched as people scrambled; journalists were chased by gun tooting policemen.
I tried to reach out to my colleagues and other comrades. Many of the young people were injured. Meanwhile, more policemen were deployed from the Force headquarters, with instructions to disperse the crowd by all means.
I looked around and did not see Deji Adeyanju, I was later told he refused to follow the others. But the worst for the day was waiting for me along Nyanyan road. Protesters in their thousands had mobilised to join the others at the stadium , but they were stopped before Abacha baracks.
They refused to back down and a fight ensued. Tear gas, bayonets, beaten, tires burning, cars vandalised, shops damaged. It was hell as jobless youths took advantage, mounted roadblocks and forcefully extort taxes from people.
I arrived Orozo in one piece, but the lesson had been learnt. If the government says a rally will become violent, it will be. They will ensure it will be. Lesson is how can social movements prevent this from happening and not fall prey to the trap? That’s food for thoughts.