The protest in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, turned awry on Monday, as policemen and other security agencies manhandled protesters and journalists.
The protesters, who had originally gathered at the Isaac Boro Park, had a brief moment of confrontation with the police who insisted they were not approved to protest at the spot. The police team leader insisted they move to the Federal Secretariat.
After the protesters addressed the Press, they started marching down Aba Road towards the Federal Secretariat, but in a sudden twist of events the police who had hitherto been following them in a convoy suddenly started firing teargas canisters at the protesters indiscriminately.
They also targeted journalists who were covering the incident, Channels Television’s Charles Opurum was tear-gassed, arrested, and brutally beaten up by a policeman before being bundled into a waiting van. He was eventually released by members of the CP Monitoring Unit who recognised him.
Not spared also was the AIT cameraman whose camera was seized and footage of the confrontation deleted by the police before it was returned to them.
A leader of the Take-It-Back movement was hit in the leg by a teargas canister and has been taken to the hospital for treatment.