#EndBadGovernanace: How journalists escaped death during protest in Abuja

“Qudus! Qudus!! start your car; let’s go,” Dyepkazah Shibayan, a reporter with TheCable, screamed in horror.

.“I can’t leave. Abdulkareem and others are still behind,” I replied as the sounds of gunshots filled the air.

We hopped into the car shortly after, but my trembling hands couldn’t immediately locate the ignition spot.

Before the car roared to life, Mr Shibayan advised our other colleagues –Bola Olabimtan, Claire, Mom of TheCable and Solomon Odeniyi of The Punch– to bow their heads in the car.

From the Moshood Abiola Stadium, we headed towards Independence Avenue at about 80 kilometres per hour.

As we moved, the car kept swerving. But the trigger-happy SSS officers pointing guns at us did not give up. They chased after us in an unmarked Toyota Sienna.

I had never driven with so much fear.

The drama

“Bola, bend down, everybody down, they are shooting”. “Bullet hit my car, let’s go”. “God save me from this”. “Where is Ademola”? These are memorable phrases from the journalists as they scampered for safety in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, on Saturday.

The journalists were covering the peaceful demonstration against hardships at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium before officials of the State Security Service (SSS) shot rounds of live ammunition to disperse them and the protesters.

Smoke from tear gas fired in a distance

The protest turned rowdy at about 12:15 p.m., just after the SSS officials alighted from their vehicles, heavily armed, masked and kitted in black.

As the masked officers moved towards the journalists, many of us knew we had encountered trouble with the security agencies, either to be arrested or harassed.

“See the way they are holding guns; let us leave this place, please,” Mr Shibayan said amid other journalists.

A few seconds after his comment, one of the officers cocked his rifle and started shooting.

The journalists rushed into their vehicles, while others took to their heels through the bush leading to the Area 1 bridge.

The journalists covering the protest were from Premium Times, The Cable, Punch, Peoples Gazette, Arise News, AIT, News Central and many others.

“Bola, bend down, everybody down ”, Mr Shibayan directed six other journalists who rushed inside one of the cars conveying PREMIUM TIMES correspondents.

“Qudus, start your car, let’s go please”, Mr Shibayan added.

“I can’t leave. Abdulkareem and others are still behind. Let him meet us,” I responded.

“A bullet has hit my car; let’s go”, Abdulkareem Mojeed, another reporter with PREMIUM TIMES who had six other journalists in his car, said surprisingly.

Amid the drama, the journalists from Arise News hurriedly drove away in their official bus.

After leaving the area, my PREMIUM TIMES colleague later realised that another colleague, Ademola Popoola, was missing.

“Call his number”, Mr Shibayan suggested

“His number isn’t connecting,” I responded.

As the conversation continued, the SSS officials moved towards the journalists again.

After about five minutes drive from the scene, I called Mr Popoola again, and it connected.

“Where are you?” I asked.

“I am in the News Central TV car,” Mr Popoola responded.

“Great. Find your way to the office, “ I said, relieved.