‘Hooligans’ Attack #BringBackOurGirls Demonstrators

Some Nigerians staging a protest over the plight of schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram insurgents at the Government Girls Secondary Schoo in Chibok, Borno State on 14 April, 2014, were allegedly attacked today.

According to the AFP, quoting Hadiza Bala Usman, the leader of the #BringBackOurGirls Movement, scores of young men armed with bottles and stones attacked women protesters staging a demonstration over the schoolgirls in Abuja on Wednesday.

* Photo of plastic chairs damaged at the rally

Hadiza stated that the men, who she referred to as 'hooligans', beat some of the protesters with chairs and bottles, adding that “some of them attacked our heads with chairs.”

It was also gathered that an AFP cameraman covering the protest said his tripod was destroyed by the group, which appeared intent on blocking the demonstration.

Reports from those that witnessed what transpired informed that some of the hooligans were carrying posters in support of President Goodluck Jonathan. However, Usman said there was no immediate evidence connecting them to the Nigerian leader or the ruling party.

She accused the police of watching the violence unfold but doing nothing.

It could be recalled that some groups stated recently that the kidnapping crisis has been sensationalised to embarrass President Jonathan.

The Bring Back Our Girls movement has held rallies in Abuja and other Nigerian cities demanding the release of more than 200 schoolgirls who were kidnapped on April 14 in Chibok, northeastern Borno state.

Since Monday, some groups opposing the rallies have assembled at the main protest site but there had been no previous reports of violence.

“We wrote to the inspector general of police about this problem,” Usman told AFP, adding that the protesters had received assurances that they would be protected. “We refuse to be intimidated,” Hadiza stated.

Source: Legit.ng