Democracy Day: Lagos, Abuja, Oshogbo boil as police allegedly shoot at June 12 protesters

The 2023 Democracy Day anniversary in Nigeria is gradually turning bloody across the country. The very core value of democracy being celebrated on June 12 by political and state actors is becoming subversive by the suppression of freedom of expression of Nigerians by the government across the federation.

The Nigeria Police deployed across the country have descended violently on peaceful June 12 protesters in Lagos State, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory and Osun State, shooting and firing tear gas canisters at the peaceful unarmed protesters.

At Freedom Park, Ojota, Lagos, the State Police Command besieged the venue of the June 12 rally in the early hours of Saturday, barricaded a section of the road, but allowing vehicular movement. The protesters were peacefully expressing their disaffection with the state of the nation when the police at about 9.15am, started firing tear gas to disperse the crowd at the Freedom Park. While people were running across the road to the other side of the venue to avoid inhaling the tear gas, followed up their action with shooting with their guns.

A few individuals were sighted being arrested by the police during the mix-up at Ojota.

However, no death was noticed to have been recorded. The processes are being monitored live from Lagos.

In Abuja, the FCT Police Command also descended on the peaceful protesters in similar manner.

The same scenario was repeated in Oshogbo, Osun State, firing of tear gas and shooting of guns. People were in all the instances running for safety while the police were motored chasing the protesters at close range.

The protest is, however, going on across the country concomitantly.

The protesters were not deterred by the police violent obstruction of their activities; they regrouped almost immediately to continue their protest. at the time of this report, the June 12 protesters have refused to vacate the roads.