While the police in Nigeria dispersed a protest in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, on Sunday, using tear gas to break up a demonstration against a series of deadly attacks that have claimed over 100 lives in recent days, a former Chief Justice of Kenya, David Maraga has notified the police in Nairobi that he will be leading a protest against the death of Albert Omondi Ojwang, an activist who died in police custody.
Ojwang reportedly died in police custody on June 7 after his arrest from Homabay County over claims of false publication.
The murder has caused an uproar amid calls for accountability from all concerned parties.
The police officers who handled him were summoned to the IPOA offices in Nairobi to state what they knew about the death.
They spent the better part of Wednesday at the offices. Some came with lawyers while others came without any legal representation.
According to insiders, some police officers claimed Ojwang was already in critical condition when he was brought into the station.
They allege that they made efforts to save his life upon realising his deteriorating state.
In Benue State, Nigeria, the protest, held at the Wurukum roundabout, was organised in response to coordinated assaults in Yelewata and Daudu communities in Guma Local Government Area on Friday night.
The attacks, which left more than 100 people dead, occurred less than 48 hours after 25 others were killed in Mtswenem and Akondotyough Bawa communities in Makurdi LGA.
Protesters, mostly young people dressed in black and carrying fresh leaves, gathered under the banner of the social media campaign #StopBenueKillings to demand urgent government action to halt the violence. The protest drew a large crowd and attracted the attention of security forces.
Commissioner of Police in Benue, Emenari Ifeanyi, addressed the demonstrators at the roundabout. He appealed for calm and urged the protesters not to interfere with ongoing security operations.
“I was monitoring and at the checking point for more than six hours. Tell your people to calm down, we need the support of the youth and everybody in Benue State,” he said.
“This is a phase and we are passing through it already. We have already cut the head of the snake and we will get the peace that we deserve.
“Instead of being in the bush with other security agencies, we are here. If you prolong your actions here, you’re giving opportunity for the enemies to plan. We have intelligence of their movement, and we are blocking them.”
Shortly after his remarks, police fired tear gas canisters into the crowd. Videos posted online showed demonstrators running in multiple directions, coughing and shielding their faces as smoke filled the air. A police helicopter hovered overhead, while patrol vans were stationed at various points across the area.
One protester recorded in a video said, “There are security trucks stationed at the Wurukum roundabout in Makurdi, where the #StopBenueKillings protesters are gathered, and a helicopter is hovering over them. If this energy were directed toward securing lives in the state, residents wouldn’t be protesting. Protesters have, as usual, been tear-gassed and dispersed.”
By Sunday afternoon, the area had been cleared of demonstrators, but security presence remained heavy.
