There are reports that Police in Ebonyi State on Saturday dispersed supporters of the OBIdient movement who gathered at the Pastoral Centre, Abakaliki for the one-million-march for the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.
Videos of the incident have gone viral on social media with the supporters of the Labour candidate who are mainly youths chanting anti Dave Umahi songs.
Eye witness accounts say that men of the Nigeria Police Force teargas Obi’s supporters, who numbered over 1,000.
The incident caused both human and vehicular traffic on the popular Old Enugu Road, in the capital city, on Saturday morning.
One of the supporters, Steve Ugama, said aside dispersing and tear-gassing the supporters, about five of his colleagues have been arrested by the police.
He said, “This is inhuman and undemocratic. We have gathered here this morning for our peaceful March, all of a sudden, the police came and started tear-gassing us and arresting our people.
“They said we can’t hold the march, because Governor David Umahi asked them to stop us, that we can’t hold it. About four or our colleagues have been arrested. We need help here.”
While filing this report, a member of the Peter Obi Media Campaign team Eric Uchenna Chimara said that the Ebonyi State Police PRO has apologized over the incident, blaming overzealous officers for the act. In a post made on his verified Facebook account, Mr. Chimara assured that the match has continued.
More details shortly