ABUJA, Nigeria, Aug 4, (AP): Nigerian security forces on Saturday fired bullets and teargas at several journalists and protesters during demonstrations against the country’s economic crisis in the capital city, Abuja, according to journalists at the scene and videos reviewed by The Associated Press.
It was not immediately confirmed whether the projectiles fired at journalists were rubber or live rounds. But the AP witnessed the aftermath of the attack, including bullet holes in a car belonging to one of the journalists as well as live bullets at the scene of the protests.
At least 50 protesters were arrested on Saturday during the protests in Abuja, Amnesty International's Nigeria office said. Nearly 700 protesters have so far been arrested across the country while nine officers have been injured during the protests, now in their third day, the Nigerian police said.
The ongoing demonstrations are mainly against Nigeria’s worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation and accusations of misgovernment and corruption in Africa’s most populous country. Nigeria’s public officials are among the best-paid in Africa, a stark contrast in a country that has some of the world’s poorest and hungriest people despite being one of the continent’s top oil producers.
At the Nigerian national stadium where dozens of protesters had gathered, police officers were seen firing tear gas to disperse the demonstrations shortly before hooded operatives believed to be from the Nigerian secret service arrived, according to several protesters, journalists and videos shared with The AP.
The Nigerian secret service, or Department of State Service whose operatives are usually hooded, quickly dispersed the protesters and then fired gunshots at the journalists who were still at the venue, according to six journalists there who spoke to The AP on the record.
A video shot by one of the journalists showed the gun-wielding operatives chasing people in front of the stadium. Their vehicles, at least five in number, were parked alongside those of the Nigerian police.