ABUJA — Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has collapsed after security operatives fired canisters of tear gas at peaceful demonstrators gathered in the Federal Capital Territory for the June 12 Democracy Day protests.
The incident occurred when citizens took to the streets of Abuja to voice their anger over the country’s worsening economic hardships, rising cost of living, and widespread insecurity.
Eyewitnesses at the scene reported that the demonstration was entirely peaceful until a detachment of the Nigeria Police Force moved in to disperse the crowds. The security operatives fired multiple rounds of tear gas directly into the gathering of protesters to force them off the streets.
Sowore, who was at the forefront of the march leading the chants, inhaled a significant amount of the chemical substance and collapsed to the ground on the road.
A video captured the chaotic aftermath, showing fellow demonstrators scrambling to revive the unconscious activist. Medics and nearby protesters swiftly carried him away from the tear gas smoke to a safe area, where he was rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency medical attention.
The incident has triggered widespread condemnation from civil society groups and human rights advocates, who have heavily criticized the police for using brute force on citizens exercising their constitutional right to peaceful assembly on a day meant to celebrate democracy.
