Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore and several protesters under the TakeItBack Movement were violently attacked by suspected political thugs during a peaceful demonstration in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Thursday.
The incident occurred at Cathedral Junction where demonstrators had gathered to protest against economic hardship in the country as part of the June 12 Democracy Day activities.
Attack Details and Allegations
According to reports, the armed thugs, allegedly sponsored by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), disrupted the peaceful protest led by Sowore and activist lawyer Tope Temokun. The attackers reportedly confiscated phones from some protesters and destroyed their banners.
Sowore expressed outrage over the incident, claiming that police officers present at the scene failed to intervene during the attack.
"While we converged here at cathedral to raise our voices against the hardship and hunger, some armed thugs came to unleash terror on us," Sowore stated. "The thugs came with weapons. They disrupted the peaceful protest and chased everyone away. These are a set of people sponsored by the APC government."
Police Response
Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Afolabi, dismissed the allegations as baseless but promised to investigate the attack on the protesters.
The June 12 protests, commemorating Democracy Day in Nigeria, were organized in various parts of the country to highlight concerns about governance and economic challenges facing citizens.
This incident adds to growing concerns about the safety of peaceful protesters and the right to freedom of assembly in Nigeria, particularly as the country continues to grapple with economic difficulties.
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