Eagle Square protest

Eagle Square protest

It was reported that soldiers from the Presidential Guard and men of the State Security Service sealed off the Square to stop the protest.

Unknown to them, however, Melaye and some journalists had already entered the car park.

As soon as those who were to sign the register started trooping to the car park, Atewe, who came in a Hilux vehicle with registration number BG 247 BWR, made some calls. Soon after, several soldiers came in a green army colour vehicle with an inscription “Brigade of Guards.”

Atewe, who dressed in a brown French suit, was accompanied by other soldiers, among who was a captain.

About 30 minutes after Atewe and his men arrived, some police officers, led by J.O. Eribo and Haruna Garba, both Chief Superintendents of Police, arrived.

Atewe and the police officers tried in vain to disperse the crowd. When their efforts failed, they invited the Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory, Mike Zuokumor, who arrived with more senior officers of the command.

The commissioner, also dressed in a mufti, later invited about 25 policemen from the Anti-Terrorism Squad.

When the policemen and the soldiers did not allow those who wanted to sign the register to enter the park, Melaye moved out to give them the register.

Before then, the security men had barricaded the entrance to the park with buses from the Brigade of Guards.

While addressing the protesters, Melaye described Jonathan’s decision to remove subsidy as “wicked”.

He said, “We open a register to protest the removal of oil subsidy. We believe it is wicked. It is satanic. It is nefarious, barbaric and no amount of intimidation or blackmail will stop us from entering.

“You can see soldiers, police, SSS, barricading the Eagle Square as if there is a war.

“It will not stop the mobilisation of people to protest and we are going to protest within the ambit of law. No amount of intimidation will stop us from fighting this course.

“The battle to salvage Nigeria and fight for this removal is a battle of no retreat no surrender. We are ready to sacrifice our lives, we are ready to do anything to make sure that by the special grace of God, Nigerians are defended.

“When the President promised fresh air, we did not know this is the type of fresh air we are going to breathe in. it is very wicked for the Federal Government even to have done this on the first of January.

“It shows that the President and the Federal Government indeed have graduated from being a weak government to a wicked government.”