Scores of young men armed with bottles and stones on Wednesday attacked women protesters staging a demonstration over the plight of Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram, an activist said.
Hadiza Bala Usman, a leader of the #BringBackOurGirls Movement, told AFP that the men beat some of the protesters with chairs and bottles.
“We were attacked by a group of hooligans,” she said. “Some of them attacked our heads with chairs.”
An AFP cameraman covering the protest said his tripod was destroyed by the group, which appeared intent on blocking the demonstration.
Photos of smashed plastic chairs from the demonstration were posted on Twitter.
Some of the men were carrying posters in support of President Goodluck Jonathan, Usman said, but there was no immediate evidence connecting them to the Nigerian leader or the ruling party.
Some groups have claimed that the kidnapping crisis has been sensationalised to embarass Jonathan.
Usman also accused the police of watching the violence unfold but doing nothing.
“We are women. How could the police just watch and do nothing?” she said.
“They came to tell us that we should move away because more hooligans were coming. How can a Nigerian policeman tell us they cannot protect us?”
The Bring Back Our Girls movement has held rallies in Abuja and other Nigerian cities demanding the release of more than 200 schoolgirls who were kidnapped on April 14 in Chibok, northeastern Borno state.
Since Monday, some groups opposing the rallies have assembled at the main protest site but there had been no previous reports of violence.
“We wrote to the inspector general of police about this problem,” Usman told AFP, adding that the protesters had received assurances that they would be protected.
“We refuse to be intimidated,” she said, insisting that despite the violence, the rallies would continue. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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“We are women. How could the police just watch and do nothing?” she said. These people are not getting it, men,women, old, young, infirm, sick, disable, etc, etc, the government of Nigeria does not just give a DAMN. Otherwise, how does one explain the slaughter of 49 secondary school boys in their dorm and kidnap of about 300 future mothers and the government kept quiet until international attention forced its hands?
ReplyDeleteGod will punish anybody supporting this "nonsense" infact God will punish anybody that refuses to take drastic and "bloody" (if the need arise) actions against this useless drama, so they wanted to turn Nigeria to Egypt?(where we have pro and anti mubarak).whoever sponsor this "pro" will know NO PEACE!!!!
ReplyDeleteCall me "hater"(like i care?), why wont i hate? The abduction is "scam", yes!! it is, what about the slaughtering of over 40 students? Was that a "scam" too?
Did aspiring or "sidon tight" in government justified all this spilling of innocents nigerians, sponsoring rallies, recking havoc every where?(while some stupid ignoramus does'nt give a damn)
Call me whatever you like but am not a bigots and moron like you(who hide under anonymous to hurled insult on others, i spit on you evil supporters)
@Adeola I once again seem to agree with your comment. Our politicians re so selfish to the point of using the unemployed and useless hooligans to create this division among the people. Nigeria must change or change will come to Nigeria. I would prefer that we change a lot of things including the structure of our governance, re-write a constitution, and clean out those that have stolen from the people. I remember buying a plot of land in Lagos and getting ready to build my house only to harassed by "omo onile" for extortion. I was very disappointed in the ways that they can act without impunity. The law does not curb this kind of jungle justice mainly because the law (Police) was out there collecting bribes too. How long before people of Nigeria start to act like they are in the new Century?
ReplyDeleteI just hope that the National Conference yield a path to good.
D only solution to all dis is either the country separates peacefully or UK shud come back and colonize the country. Dats d only way out bcos this is just the begining and dias no end for terrorism only rebranding. From millitants to BH let's wait after election and see wats next
ReplyDeleteAgreed!
ReplyDelete