Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore collapsed on Friday during a Democracy Day protest in Abuja after security operatives deployed teargas to break up a demonstration against economic hardship and insecurity.
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The rally was part of a coordinated nationwide mass action organised by a coalition of civil society groups, but descended into chaos when police moved in on the demonstrators, firing teargas canisters and shooting into the air to force the crowd to disperse.
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Eyewitnesses said Sowore lost consciousness amid the thick fumes before fellow protesters quickly pulled him from the crowd and rushed him to an awaiting vehicle for emergency medical attention.
The police crackdown came after the Federal Capital Territory Command had earlier issued warnings against protests targeting sensitive government locations. Security forces had moved in overnight, barricading Unity Fountain, Eagle Square, and access roads leading to the Three Arms Zone well before Friday morning.
The exact circumstances of Sowore’s collapse and his medical condition remained unclear at the time of this report.
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