The protest in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, took a chaotic turn on Monday as security operatives, including policemen, reportedly manhandled both demonstrators and journalists.
The protesters, who initially gathered at Isaac Boro Park, encountered resistance from the police who claimed the location was not approved for protests. The officers, led by their team leader, instructed the group to relocate to the Federal Secretariat.
Following a brief address to the press, the protesters began marching peacefully down Aba Road toward the Federal Secretariat. However, events took a dramatic turn when the police, previously escorting the group in a convoy, suddenly began firing teargas canisters indiscriminately into the crowd.
Journalists covering the protest were not spared. Charles Opurum of Channels Television was tear-gassed, arrested, and physically assaulted by a police officer before being forced into a waiting van. He was later released by members of the Commissioner of Police’s Monitoring Unit, who identified him.
An AIT cameraman also faced harassment; his camera was confiscated, and the recorded footage of the confrontation was deleted by officers before the device was returned.
One of the leaders of the Take-It-Back Movement sustained injuries after being struck in the leg by a teargas canister and was rushed to the hospital for medical attention.
