Protesters shouted down the Minister of State for Youths Development, Ayodele Olawande, who arrived at the Eagles Square in Abuja to address the protesters.
As the Minister tried to address the crowd, the protesters continued to chant “hunger dey”, preventing the minister from speaking.
However, after quelling the crowd, the minister said he wasn’t attempting to shut down the protest, describing himself as a comrade who has attended between a hundred and five hundred protests.
“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,” he said.
The minister also assured that he would address the police regarding the shooting of canisters against the protesters.
Meanwhile, protesters have insisted they would not join the others at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, noting that a few days ago, a parallel protest had been held without interference by the police.
And at the Kurudu axis in Abuja, a tense standoff between angry youths and Police officers has erupted with protesters blocking the road, using burning tires and refusing to allow vehicles to pass.
Despite attempts by the Police to engage in dialogue and disperse the crowd using tear gas, the situation remains volatile.
The youths, fueled by frustration and anger, are demanding attention to their grievances, while the police are working to maintain order and restore normalcy to the area. The confrontation has brought traffic to a standstill, causing disruptions to daily activities.
As the situation continues to unfold, concerns about safety and potential escalation are growing. The use of tear gas by the police has added to the tensions, and it remains to be seen how the situation will be resolved.
At the Lekki Tollgate, Lagos State, protesters have scampered for safety after they defied security operative directive for them to join other protesters at the designated locations.
The Police then fired teargas to disperse them away.
Also at the Eagle Square, Abuja, the Police teargassed #ENDBADGOVERNMENT protesters who defied Police operatives directive to let them leave the area. They later shot canisters of of tear gas to chase them away.
However, despite the canister fired, protesters moved on singing and displaying the national flag and some other placards.
The posters were also seen in high spirit at Moshood Abiola stadium Abuja.