Police Disrupt Peaceful Anti- Mbu Protest; Rains Hot Water and Canisters over Citizens
A peaceful protest organised on Tuesday in Abuja to demand the immediate sack of Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mbu, over alleged impunity and abuse of office was disrupted by more than 30 policemen.
The protest which was organised by a rights organisation, Anti-Corruption Network, and led by its Executive Secretary and former House of Representative member, Dino Melaye had protesters carrying placards and marching down from the NITEL Junction, along Ahmadu Bello Way at Wuse II at about 11:20am to the premises of the Ministry of Police Affairs in the Federal Secretariat when they were blocked at the ThisDay Dome Junction by armed policemen who fired canisters at them and also shot in the air so as to disrupt the rally.
The Security enforcers used Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) and vans to block the road and also sprayed hot water on the protesters causing journalists and passers-by to run for their lives. Vehicular movement was also affected as many drivers who could not understand what was going on made frantic efforts to leave through other routes.
Speaking on the harmful disruption, Maleye lamented the abuse of democracy as Nigerians were being denied the right to peaceful protest.
“We are going to submit a petition, we are peaceful Nigerians with women, some pregnant and carrying children and we expected them to show civility and responsibility but lo and behold, the police shot sporadically, media men being chased, one camera was smashed.
“In a democratic setting, we have the constitutional power to demonstrate in a protest peacefully. We will not retreat, we will not surrender, the battle to salvage our country from these canker-worms of financial scavengers is a battle of no retreat, no surrender.”
Determined to continue with the struggle no matter the intimidation, Melaye said:
“We will fight by the last drop of our blood, democracy will continue to be government of the people for the people and by the people and not government of the greedy for greedy by the greedy. It is now obvious more than ever that the presidency and the PDP are behind the instability and impunity going on in Rivers State.”