Independence Day Protest hits Lagos As Angry #BuhariMustGo, Protesters Storm Ojota

Many concerned Nigerians have taken to the streets to commence the #RevolutionNow and #BuhariMustGo protest in Ojota, Lagos State on the country’s Independence Day anniversary.

As of 11 am, the protesters had converged on the ground and are presently at the scene chanting and displaying banners and placards that read, ‘Buhari Must Go’.

Nigeria is marking its 61st Independence anniversary today (Friday), on October 1, 2021.

In a video shared by BBC pidgin, some police officers are at the venue warning the protesters to disperse and walk away.

The protesters chanted, “Who go tire? I no go tire”, “The suffering is enough”, “That’s how they killed Olajide Sowore, enough is enough”.

One of them who was interviewed by the news channel said in Yoruba, “We are tired already, people are suffering, there is hunger in the land, they’ve closed borders, why? Before now, how much was a bag of Semo (semolina)? Please we need to put an end to this government.”

One of the leaders of the protest said, “Greatest Nigerian people, we claim we are celebrating the independence of Nigeria, are we truly independent? What happened in 1960 was a change in the colour of our colonial masters.

“Formerly, our colonial masters were white people but now we are being colonised by our people. An independent country will find a lasting solution to unemployment, an independent country will find a solution to insecurity. We are saying enough is enough, we have been cheated for too long, that’s why we have come out.

“We will not be intimidated by the shenanigans of the political leaders. We cannot get freedom unless we get a government that works for us. Nigeria has stayed too long in the bondage of lack of infrastructure, bad governance…”

Human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore had on Thursday urged Nigerians to protest across the country on Independence Day, to reject President Muhammadu Buhari.

The activist was reacting to a statement released by a presidential aide Femi Adesina on Thursday titled ‘October Independence Anniversary: President Buhari to broadcast to the Nation’.

“I am urging all citizens and non-citizens of Nigeria to boycott @MBuhari’s national ‘INDEPENDENCE DAY’ broadcast scheduled for tomorrow, instead you should partake in protests across d country tomorrow to reject this man, the Failure-In-Chief of the Federal Republic #BuhariMustGo,” he said on Twitter. 

On Facebook, the activist posted, “What is this Failure-In-Chief going to broadcast to the country? #RevolutionNow #October1stProtest #BuhariMustGo.”