Nigerians on Thursday defied the ban on rally as they took to the streets to protest against tariff hike , corruption , hunger and general insecurity while the country marked its 60 th independence anniversary .
There was a clampdown on many of the protesters , who were either arrested or brutalised by security agents .
In Abuja, members of the # RevolutionNow Movement , who protested at the United States Embassy in the Federal Capital Territory , lamented the security and socio -economic challenges in the country.
They demanded the resignation of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd . ) , over increasing insecurity , hunger and corruption .
The campaigners , led by the convener of the movement , Omoyele Sowore , wielded a big banner with the inscription , ‘ Buhari has failed, ’ and placards , some of which read , ‘ Failed leadership has made Nigeria the poverty capital of the world , ’ and ‘ # RevolutionNow . ’
The protesters , who also included
# BringBackOurGirls activist , Aisha Yesufu , Ariyo Dare - Atoye , Henry Shield , Adebayo Raphael and Deji Adeyanju of Concerned Nigerians, among others , criticised what they described as oppression in the land.
Yesufu , in her remarks , said Nigerians must make the nation work , adding that things were becoming unbearable .
Raphael said Nigerians had passed a vote of no confidence in the Federal Government, adding that “ under Buhari , our economy is in shambles; under him , hardship has been redefined . ”
Dare - Atoye stated, “ In the last 48 hours , a good number of soldiers have been slaughtered and injured. We are not better than those who have died , so why can ’ t we come out and protest ? The only people enjoying Nigeria are the President and his family . A policeman cannot afford to cater for his family .
“ Today , we have passed a vote of no confidence in the president and we want to tell them that this is just the beginning . The revolution of the common man is coming. ”
Adeyanju said Nigerians were dissatisfied with the security and economic conditions in the country, stressing that “ Nigeria is not working . ”
He observed that soldiers, policemen and other security agents had taken over the Unity Fountain , Maitama , where the rally was supposed to hold .
The activist appealed to the US to place a visa ban on the Director- General of the Department of State Services for clamping down on protesters in Osogbo .
The campaigners also sang solidarity songs and berated the government for failing to address the insecurity in the country.
Our correspondents gathered that the protest also held at Area one , Life Camp , Jabi, Kuje , Kwali , Kubwa and Lugbe areas .
Protest in Ibadan despite heavy security presence
In Ibadan , Oyo State , angry youths staged a peaceful protest against what they termed the oppressive rule of Buhari .
The youth , who are members of the # RevolutionNow Movement and other groups , said Nigerians were suffering despite promises made by the President during electioneering .
The protesters were forced to change the venue of their protest to a filling station along the Lagos - Ibadan Expressway as armed policemen took over Iwo Road , which they had planned to use for the demonstration.
About 10 police cars and patrol vans were stationed around Under Bridge , Iwo Road , while major streets in Ibadan were also manned by the police to prevent protests in the city .
The Deputy Inspector - General of Police in charge of South - West had on Wednesday said the police would not allow any procession on October 1 .
But the protesting youths said the police might have blocked them from using the popular space , they could not stop them from voicing their displeasure on how the country was being run .
The Chairman of # RevolutionNow in Oyo State , Rotimi Ogunlana, told our correspondent that the hardship , insecurity , corruption among government appointees, had become unbearable for Nigerians.
Another leader of the coalition , Akin Asifat , said October 1 was not worth celebrating .
DSS disperse protesters , arrest ten in Osogbo
In Osogbo , Osun State , armed DSS operatives dispersed members of the
# RevolutionNow Movement , arresting 11 of them .
The youth , however , regrouped around Olaiya area and marched through major streets in Osogbo , calling for an end to bad governance in the country .
The protesters , bearing a large banner with the inscription , ‘ Coalition for Revolution : Stop imposing poverty and hardships on people , ’ took off at the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park , Osogbo , few minutes past 9 am and moved round Old Garage Roundabout , singing anti -government songs .
While still moving around Old Garage Roundabout , three vehicles carrying DSS men arrived at the scene and the occupants disembarked and chased the protesters .
The banner of the protesters was confiscated.
One of those arrested , Omolola Pedro , a student at the Obafemi Awolowo University , Ile Ife , was brutalised by three operatives before he was dragged into a waiting vehicle at the Freedom Park , Osogbo .
Two other protesters were arrested by the operatives , while eight others walked to where the DSS men parked their vehicles and requested to be arrested .
Also at the scene , an operative of DSS , who accused PUNCH correspondent of recording activities of the security men, demanded to see his mobile phone and was about to attack him when a senior officer intervened .
All the 11 protesters were made to sit on the ground and were later moved into the back of a security van and driven towards the state command of the DSS .
One of those arrested , Pedro , later informed our correspondent that all 11 protesters were released by the DSS , adding that the security agents said they were making too much noise while being moved into custody.
At the Olaiya area , the Ataoja of Osogbo , Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, whose vehicle had stopped for the traffic light , told the protesters that if their efforts would correct the ills in the country, he was in support of their action .
The protest leader , Victor Abiodun , alleged that 20 protesters were arrested , adding that they had all been released .
‘Buhari should fix Nigeria or resign ’
In Benin , Edo State , the protesters asked the President to either fix the country or resign .
A spokesman for the group , Kola Edokpayi , while addressing journalists on the premises of the Nigerian Union of Journalists , said the country had become an embarrassment in the committee of nations .
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