Activists in Abuja who had planned to honour those who lost their lives during the EndSARS protests
The heavy presence of security forces forced organisers to postpone the event, in the interest of keeping attendees safe.
Speaking with the PREMIUM TIMES, one of the event organisers confirmed that they had cancelled the event but planned to “regroup and reorganise it at a later date.”
He said “security forces were purposefully sent in large numbers to intimidate attendees.”
PREMIUM TIMES found approximately 16 police and military vehicles parked inside and around the fountain.
Earlier on Friday, six protesters were arrested while demonstrating peacefully at the National Assembly. Others were injured when security forces charged at the small group as they were leaving the grounds.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how the six protesters were remanded in police custody over the weekend, as their lawyer worked to free them from what he called “trumped up charges”.
It is uncertain if a planned EndSARS protest in the Ikeja neighbourhood of Lagos will take place today, as had originally been planned.
The Lagos police had already announced that they would “resist” any protests due to the “havoc and violence unleashed by suspected hoodlums” in previous weeks.
The government has clamped down on activists who helped organise the EndSARS protests by freezing their bank accounts and stopping some from travelling out of the country.
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