The people gathered at the Millennium Park, where they were dispersed by the policemen from the Force headquarters. The officers arrived at the park around 9:22 am in two vehicles, with registration numbers NPF 6666C and NPF 248.
The officers were seen shooting sporadically and firing teargas to make the protesters leave.
Additionally, a bus belonging to the Abuja Urban Mass Transportation Company, which was hired to convey the protesters, was attacked.
The protesting people had to relocate to another venue to avoid casualties, but they were dispersed again.
Commenting on the situation, the convener of the protest, Eze Onyenkpere called the police actions uncivil and crude. He claimed that they had not power to attack unarmed protesters.
“The police were supposed to escort us to the place where we were going to submit our petition,” he said.
He stated that the Public Order Act, which the police usually refer to for disrupting protests, had been upturned by the Supreme Court. He further asserted that he will be suing the force for dispersing non-violent protesters.
He added, “For emphasis, that Act has been set aside by the Federal High Court and supported by the decision by the Court of Appeal and there is no decision from any other superior Court that has set aside this popular decision of the Court of Appeal.
“That there is no fundamental right to movement, association, peaceful assembly until you get police order – there is no such thing.”
Speaking on the protest itself, he claimed that it necessary to conduct such and event, because the National Assembly, the Presidency and other official bodies do not take into consideration the welfare of Nigerians and the country.
“We recall with regret the perennial sum of N150 billion allocated to the National Assembly, NASS, every year since 2010 and also projected 2016 under the Medium Term Expenditure Framework 2014-2016 (MTEF); the mind boggling provisions for foreign and local travel, bloated security, entertainment and welfare; votes year after year requests for vehicles and computers; and a Presidency that is fed on more than N2 million a day and enjoying a fleet of aircrafts but still wants more."
The speakers has also expressed dissatisfaction over trillions of Naira lost to subsidy thieves, ghost workers and pension thieves.
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