by Nurat Uthman
Protesters, on Tuesday morning, gathered at the Ikeja Underbridge in Lagos State as the country marks the 64th Independence Day.
The protest, however, is being closely monitored by a large contingent of security personnel, including policemen, officials of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, joined the ongoing protest in Lagos State.
Sowore who is one of the key organisers of the protest arrived at the protest ground at the Ikeja Underbridge at exactly 8:50am.
Addressing newsmen, Sowore said the protest was a crucial step towards taking Nigeria to the “promised land”.
He emphasised that the action symbolised the people’s rejection of the government’s Independence Day celebration.
Sowore also questioned whether Nigerians had not given the government enough chances, citing how former President Muhammadu Buhari allegedly misused the additional time given to him.
He said, “This is one of the actions that will take us to the promised land. We did it in August and today is a symbolic day to reject their own independence as we want our independence.”
Likewise, protesters in Abuja came out in large numbers to also vent their frustration at the current hardship in the country.
The protesters, as early as 7 am, gathered at the busy Utako market in the Utako area of the FCT, where the demonstration is currently ongoing.
The Director of Mobilisation Take It Back Movement, Damilare Adenola, lamented the hardship in the country, which he attributed to the policies of the Federal Government.
The October 1 protest tagged #FearlessInOctober is a continuation of the #EndBadGovernance protests held between August 1 and 10 in response to the economic hardship experienced by many Nigerians.
