Abuja: Black Monday in Apo as ‘government thugs burn 200 cars, kill 2 protesters’
At least two protesters were killed in Abuja on Monday when hoodlums hired by the Nigerian government descended on peaceful demonstrators, witnesses alleged.
The said victims were yet to be identified as of the time of publishing this report.
At another incident around Kabusa junction in the Apo district area of the nation’s capital, raging thugs reportedly set over 200 cars on fire. The thugs had attacked protesters in the area were repelled. They then regrouped for another attack but protesters had left the area by then.
Angered by the lack of protesters to attack, the hoodlums reportedly turned to a car stand at Jesus Avenue in Apo Mechanic Village and set the vehicles ablaze. Some say there were over 50 cars involved. Some put the figure at 200.
Some of the cars were new and for sale. Some belonged to EndSARS protesters, reports say.
The car burning incident happened around 6pm, reports say.
Also in Nigeria’s capital city, police officers reportedly fired teargas cannisters and live bullets to disperse protesters who had gathered at AYA junction.
#EndSARS: Thugs allegedly hired by the Nigerian government burn over 200 cars belonging to protesters in Apo, Abuja. Demonstrators said the hoodlums also killed 2 people. pic.twitter.com/IiLtMsbEq2
— The Realm News (@TheRealmNews) October 19, 2020
At least three officers allegedly charged at a female protester who was bearing the national flag. They allegedly assaulted her and forcefully seized the flag from her.
This is coming after the inspector-general Mohammed Adamu warned the police against assaulting protesters.
President Muhammadu Buhari, after saying protesters had the right to demonstrate peacefully, also deployed armed soldiers to the streets of Abuja on Monday.
Demonstrators, under the banner of EndSARS, are marching against police brutality and calling for a comprehensive reform of the force. The government said it has agreed to meet their demands. But protesters point to previous failed promises.
Meanwhile, indigenous communities in Abuja have reportedly petitioned President Buhari to crush the protests for good. They also gave demonstrators 24 hours to leave their communities or face trouble, reports say.
