PeakNews Online
Abuja, August 3, 2024 – Security operatives at the MKO Abiola National Stadium in Abuja on Saturday dispersed protesters and journalists with gunshots, causing chaos and fear among the crowd.
Protesters and journalists gathered at the stadium were suddenly met with sporadic gunfire from masked security operatives, believed to be personnel from the Department of State Services (DSS). The operatives aimed their fire at the crowd, causing protesters and journalists to flee for cover.
Witnesses reported that protesters were reconvening after an earlier dispersal by security agents when the shooting began. Protesters sought refuge in the bushes surrounding the stadium, with some security operatives in pursuit.
The gunfire did not cease with the dispersal of the protesters. The remaining masked security operatives turned their attention to the journalists, who were stationed at a different location. The operatives fired indiscriminately at the fleeing reporters, causing further panic.
A Premium Times reporter’s car, which was transporting journalists away from the scene, was hit by bullets in three different locations. Journalists from The PUNCH, The Cable, Premium Times, and Peoples Gazette were inside the vehicle at the time of the incident.
Additionally, bullets shattered the glass of a commuter vehicle in the area, highlighting the widespread impact of the security operatives’ actions.
The use of gunfire to disperse both protesters and journalists marks a significant escalation in the response to the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests, which have drawn nationwide attention due to the participants’ demands for economic relief and governmental accountability.
