So after Monday's bloody incident during the surulere protest that claimed the lives of two individuals, a police officer and a bystander, I decided to take a break. I was overwhelmed by the feeling of hopelessness and it wasn't safe anymore being in the streets. It seemed futile--the struggle. The government was so bent on sabotaging our movement and there were several cases of human rights violation that were overlooked. One of the protesters who was brutalised during Monday's protest is currently in the hospital. He sustained some injuries in the head and is in a critical condition and yet no one has been prosecuted. I remember bursting into tears while talking to my friends after that day. The reality I had witnessed was so real. It could have been shot. I was seconds away from the of the shooting when it happened thanks to my protest buddy who wanted to go home. I probably would have been a proxy to the incident scene which increases my chances of being shot at. Even if I was shot I might have been arrested and brutalised like the ladies and man in my last video on 3speak. It was a heartbreaking experience, one that left me feeling defeated.
It was rumoured that the federal government accused flutterwaves, the organisation facilitating the crowdfunding for the protest of aiding terrorism. The central bank was targeting bank accounts and we had to come up with a decentralised option--bitcoin. Over a million naira was raised in a few hours. These all happened whilst they were in talks with the protesters.
Thugs began to attack our protest grounds two days ago, destroying properties and injuring protesters. The first incident was in the capital state, were supposed hoodlums paid roughly $4 to vandalism and injure protesters. Fortunately, the protesters have been able to fight back and regain their ground.
Yesterday Jack, CEO of twitter endorsed the protest and some prominent Nigerians who have been quiet for some time. It was a great motivation for me to get back on the streets. There was light at the of the tunnel.
I intended on joining protesters in Alausa Ikeja at the government office only to discover that it had been I've taken by government-hired thugs. Which is kind of ironic, considering that this is supposed to be one of the most secured places in Lagos. For security reasons and because I was with a friend, I decided to join protesters at Lekki toll gate.
It didn't seem much like a protest to me as people were eating, drinking and having fun. Well, the most important thing is that we occupied a strategic location. Most of my time there was spent on my phone following the protest online.
My friend Susan, who just joined the protest for the first time was thrilled. She is the major reason I stepped out today and I am glad she enjoyed herself. Tomorrow I will share some of my thoughts on the ongoing protest. For now, I have to sleep. Cheers!