Protesters at Eagles Square in Abuja shouted down the Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, when he arrived to address the crowd during the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria rally. The protesters chanted “hunger dey,” preventing the minister from speaking.
After calming the crowd, Minister Olawande emphasized that he was not there to shut down the protest. He identified himself as a comrade who has participated in numerous protests, stating, “I’m not here to fight you, I’m not here to ask you not to protest; it is your right. Like I said, I’ve been to over 100-500 protests.”
The minister also promised to address the police regarding the shooting of canisters at protesters.
Meanwhile, the protesters maintained their decision to remain at Eagles Square and not join others at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium. They pointed out that a parallel protest had been held there a few days ago without police interference.
