Security forces have fired teargas at protesters in Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos Monday morning. The Revolution Now protests called for by activists had been expressly outlawed by the police who said it was treasonable.
Photos shared on social media showed people gathered at the Lagos national stadium where people were gathering for the event.
The forceful dispersal of protesters led to some scuffles that left a number of people bruised. Protesters were heard singing a famous revolutionary anthem about solidarity and fighting for their rights.
The leader of the protest and publisher of Nigeria’s online news portal Sahara Reporters, Omowole Sowore was over the weekend detained by intelligence operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS.
Local media reported that his arrest was linked to plans to mobilize people in Lagos and other parts of the country for a revolution protest tagged ‘Days of Rage’ to demand a better Nigeria.
The arrest has elicited a wide range of condemnation on social media with people accusing the government of seeking to stifle dissent and the right to peaceful protest.
SOURCE: africanews
