Residents, who gathered to demand justice and government intervention, alleged that the structures were demolished without prior notice.
Naija News reports that former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, was among the protesters when police operatives moved in and fired teargas into the crowd. The protest, organized by the Take It Back Movement, was held in solidarity with those affected by the demolition.
Police reportedly began dispersing the protesters shortly after Sowore’s arrival at the scene. The State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, had earlier warned against such demonstrations and deployed operatives to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
Speaking at the venue, Sowore accused the police commissioner of ordering officers to stop him “at all costs.”
Sowore was recently released from Kuje Prison after meeting the bail conditions granted by a Magistrate Court in Abuja. He was arrested alongside Nnamdi Kanu’s Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, and 11 others during the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in the Federal Capital Territory.
The group had been arraigned before Magistrate Abubakar Umar Sai’id on charges of unlawful assembly and disturbance of public peace. The court granted them bail in the sum of ₦500,000 each, with conditions including verified National Identification Numbers (NIN), three-year tax clearance certificates, and the deposit of their international passports.
After fulfilling the bail requirements, Sowore and the others were released from custody.