Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force on Monday dispersed protesters with tear gas in the Maitama area of Abuja.
The demonstrators, who had gathered peacefully to express their grievances, were thrown into disarray as tear gas canisters forced many to flee the scene in search of safety.
The protest, part of a nationwide demonstration led by the Take-It-Back Movement and other civil society organisations, commenced earlier in the day to spotlight a range of national issues.
Among the core concerns raised by the organisers were the alleged misuse of the Cybercrime Act, escalating economic hardship, and what they described as a “state of emergency” in Rivers State.
Protesters marched through the streets of the Federal Capital Territory carrying placards with messages like “Stop the Repression” and “Let Us Breathe.”
Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore also joined the protest to show his support for the movement.
In a statement released last Friday, Juwon Sanyaolu, National Coordinator of the Take-It-Back Movement, said the protest was organized to resist what he termed the “increasing authoritarianism” of the current administration and to call for urgent relief for Nigerians facing inflation and insecurity.
As of the time of filing this report, no injuries or arrests had been reported, but the atmosphere in the area remained tense.