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#RevolutionNow: Nigerians Lambast Buhari For Harassing Protesters With Armed Operatives

...Unwilling to tolerate the guts of the protesters, security operatives, on the orders of the government, took over major roads and convergence points in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja, teargasing and arresting all those calling for a revolution.

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Nigerians have lashed out at the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for trying to use extreme force to silence members of the RevolutionNow movement, who poured out onto the streets in different parts of the country on Monday to march against his government.

The protesters, largely made up of young people, displayed banners and placards of all kinds with many of those calling on the government of Buhari to fix the country or step down.

But unwilling to tolerate the guts of the protesters, security operatives, on the orders of the government, took over major roads and convergence points in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja, teargasing and arresting all those calling for a revolution.

Condemning the arrest and intimidation of the protesters by security operatives, Nigerians on various social media platforms have continued to lambast Buhari’s regime, describing it as authoritarian and intolerant of opposing views.

A popular social commentator, Adegoke Olukayode, while reacting to the incident in a Facebook post, said, "It should be on record and a circumstantial evidence in court that the #RevolutionNow protesters in Lagos and Abeokuta were peaceful and unarmed, yet they were brutally dispersed with tear-gas, shot at and a couple of them arrested.

“There has not been one protester caught with any armed objects even as harmless as a broom, a possible instrument of assault predominantly common with the APC, the majority party in government now.

“It doesn’t take much reasoning in logic to realise and acknowledge that these people's fundamental rights, as citizens of Nigeria to freedom of assembly and association as well as freedom to protest have been grossly violated and that their human rights and dignity of persons as clearly stated in the constitution have been abused.”

Expressing his displeasure at the arrest and intimidation of the protesters by the Buhari government, one Chibuzor Mitchel Ezeuchegbu, on the comment section of Sahara Reporters website, said that, “Why not allow peaceful protests? What is the despot afraid of if he indeed won the election by popular votes?"

Frowning at the actions of the police and other security agencies, another commentator on Sahara Reporters known as Partition Nigeria, said that, “I don't know how these policemen will be able to face their children after shooting unarmed citizens.

“One day, the tide will turn on them. Shame on Nigeria Police who protect the corrupt but not the honest citizens. God is against you all. Just watch.”

In similar fashion, another commentator on the Sahara Reporters news platform, Tawanda Incommunicado, described the situation as worrisome, calling on the Buhari regime to respect the rights of citizens.

He said, “Shame on Buhari and his herdsmen regime. Democracy will triumph over a bunch of wicked men.

“Remain peaceful and resilient is my advice to every protester. Never ever give up.

“Buhari must bow to the tenets of democracy. Peaceful protest is a democratic right and not a privilege.”