The FCT police command has told journalists covering the ongoing nationwide protests against economic hardship to dress in the attire of their respective media organisations to avoid being mistaken as protesters.
Daily Trust reports that some Nigerians had organised a 10-day nationwide protest against what they termed as bad governance and had taken to the streets on Thursday to drive home their demands.
On Saturday, the third day of the demonstration, protesters in Abuja had returned to the streets and assembled at Moshood Abiola Stadium with flags and placards.
But the policemen on ground at the stadium – which served as the protest venue – fired into the air, released teargas and scared the protesters away.
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Masked operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) were also seen at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in seven vehicles.
As the policemen arrested those on ground, other operatives shot at protesters and journalists who ran for cover.
The bullets pierced a car conveying journalists out of the location.
SP Josephine Adeh, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, in a terse statement on Sunday night said the commissioner of police, CP Benneth Igweh, had also directed her to inform journalists covering the protests to come along with a valid means of identification.
“The Commissioner of Police FCT Command directed me to inform all pressmen who intend to go out and cover the ongoing National protests to adequately dress in the attire of their respective media organizations and also come along with a valid means of identification,” the statement read.
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