Allegations of Unequal Treatment Surface as Pro-Government Protesters Met with Security, While Kanu Supporters Face Gunfire.
A contrasting scenes from protests in the nation’s capital on Tuesday are fueling fresh allegations of selective application of law and order by Nigerian security agencies, raising serious questions about the state’s commitment to impartial policing.
The focal point of the tension was the Federal Capital Territory’s Three Arms Zone, a sensitive area housing key government institutions. Here, two groups with diametrically opposed demands held demonstrations, but their experiences with state security could not have been more different.
On one side, supporters of detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu gathered to demand his release. Eyewitnesses and viral social media footage depict a heavy-handed response from a combined team of police and military personnel. The protest, which included prominent activist Omoyele Sowore, was reportedly met with tear gas and, alarmingly, live ammunition.
In a video that has since gone viral, Sowore is seen scrambling for cover with other protesters as the sound of gunshots rings out. “They are shooting at us! They are shooting!” voices can be heard yelling in the background. The chaos also reportedly spilled over to civil servants attempting to access their offices in the area, with some allegedly suffering injuries from the indiscriminate use of tear gas canisters.
WATCH A VIDEO FROM THE PROTEST:
Meanwhile, just a short distance away, a counter-protest was operating under a completely different set of rules. A group under the name Mega National Movement for Good Governance (MNMGG) led by one Chizorom Ofoegbu, protesting against the release of Nnamdi Kanu, was allowed to demonstrate freely. Photographs and videos circulating on Facebook show the group, adorned with Nigerian flags and placards, marching without any visible interference.
READ: Customs Officer Found Dead in Katsina Hotel After Lodging With Three Women
More notably, according to multiple reports, security agencies were not only present but appeared to be providing a protective cordon for the pro-government demonstrators, ensuring their safety.
The disparity was captured in a social media post that juxtaposed the two events. The user wrote: “While The Army And Police Clamped Down On ‘Free Nnamdi Kanu’ Protesters In Abuja… Another Group… Which Staged A Counter-Protest Against Kanu’s Release In The Same FCT Was Allowed To Demonstrate Freely — And Even Provided With Security.”
This visible discrepancy has sparked backlash from human rights observers and political commentators. Many are asking how the state can justify providing security for one set of citizens while using violent force to disperse another in the same city, on the same day, and for the same fundamental activity: public protest.
Discover more from TOKTOK9JA MEDIA
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
