On Saturday, August 3, 2024, Nigerian security forces used bullets and tear gas against journalists and protesters during demonstrations in Abuja, the nation’s capital, according to reporters present at the scene.
The type of projectiles fired at the journalists has not been confirmed, though the Associated Press observed bullet holes in a journalist’s car and live bullets at the protest site.
Amnesty International’s Nigeria office reported that at least 50 protesters were arrested in Abuja on Saturday. Across the country, nearly 700 protesters have been detained and nine officers injured during the ongoing demonstrations, which are now in their third day, according to Nigerian police.
The protests are driven by Nigeria’s severe cost-of-living crisis and accusations of mismanagement and corruption in Africa’s most populous country. Despite being one of the continent’s top oil producers, Nigeria struggles with extreme poverty and hunger, while its public officials are among the best-paid in Africa.
At the national stadium in Abuja, where protesters had gathered, police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd shortly before hooded operatives, believed to be from the Department of State Services (DSS), arrived. According to witnesses, including several protesters and journalists, the DSS operatives quickly dispersed the protesters and fired gunshots at journalists on the scene.
A video recorded by one of the journalists showed armed operatives chasing people in front of the stadium. The operatives’ vehicles, at least five in number, were parked alongside those of the Nigerian police.
“It was shocking because they saw us as journalists and we were telling them we were journalists,” said Abdulkareem Mojeed, one of the journalists attacked. At least three bullet holes pierced his car.
The journalists, wearing vests identifying them as media, were positioned away from the protesters next to vehicles marked with media branding when they were fired upon.
A spokesperson for the DSS did not respond to telephone and email inquiries from the Associated Press. The DSS, known for its brutality, has been frequently accused of violent attacks and wrongful arrests.
Journalist Abdulqudus Ogundapo expressed his fear during the incident, stating, “My first reaction was, ‘let me just be safe,’” before driving away from the scene.
Journalists often face targeted attacks by security forces while performing their duties in Nigeria, which ranks 112th out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders. Protesters have also faced gunfire, including during the deadly 2020 demonstrations against police brutality.
Since the cost-of-living protests began, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has recorded at least 31 attacks on journalists, including 11 arrests.
“Rather than providing security for journalists … security officials have conducted themselves in a way that suggests they are deliberately attacking journalists,” said Adebayo Aare, a project officer on media freedom with CJID.
The Nigerian police reported that seven people have died during the protests, none by security forces. However, Amnesty International has reported at least nine protesters killed by security forces. A police officer previously reported as dead “miraculously survived,” according to police spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi, who called for an end to the protests, initially scheduled to last for ten days.
