A journalist, Mary Adeboye, has narrated how she was struck by a teargas canister fired by police at Eagle Square in the Federal Capital Territory.
Adeboye, reporting for News Central Television, was covering the protest against Nigeria’s economic crisis when the incident happened.
According to Sahara Reporters on Friday, Adeboye described her experience as “terrible”, and added that she had identified the officer who fired the canister that hit her leg.
She said that she was not facing the police officer, and that they wanted to move from where the police officers were shooting the teargas.
She said that she is still unable to walk due to the pain, and expressed gratitude for wearing a rubber shoe, which saved her leg from more severe injury.
She said that when the teargas hit her leg, she initially thought it was a gunshot.
She said, “We were trying to move from where they were shooting the teargas. I wasn’t facing the police, and I wanted to move to the other side. While moving, I saw the policeman who shot the teargas, and it hit my leg. In fact, it is still painful and I can’t use it to walk right now.
“When I felt it hit my leg, I thought it was a gunshot and that my leg was already damaged, but all thanks to the rubber shoes I wore, it saved my leg. If not, it would have peeled off my skin, but the rubber shoe really saved me.”
The International Press Centre (IPC) has condemned the attacks and arrest of journalists and other media professionals while covering the ongoing nationwide protest.
The IPC reported that several journalists faced physical assault, harassment, denial of access to cover the protest, and destruction of their working tools in various states, including Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Cross River, and Delta.
The #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest which began on Thursday is expected to last till August 10.
The protesters are demonstrating against hunger and economic hardship, and are demanding urgent action from the government to address these issues….Sêe_Morē