Just see wetin Dem do CHARLEY BOY Yesterday for Wuse Market, ABUJA - Full Gist

Scenes of the attack. Photo: Olatunji Obasa

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 Popular artist and Co-convener of the #ResumeOrResign protests, Charles Oputa, aka Charly Boy, and other members of his movement were attacked by a mob on Tuesday at Wuse Market, Abuja.

The mob, who stoned the protesters, also injured a journalist with The Guardian newspaper, Oludare Richard.

The mob, consisting mostly young Hausa boys, was believed to have attacked the protesters for demanding that ailing President Muhammadu Buhari should resume or resign from office.

The miscreants also vandalised Charly Boy’s BMW car, breaking the side glass and the front windscreen.

It was learnt that the activist and his fellow protesters managed to escape as the few security men at the scene could not control the attackers.

The market was subsequently shut down temporarily while vehicles belonging to the protesters were taken away from the area.

An eyewitness said many of the journalists who followed the protesters to the market were also harassed by the mob.

Richard explained that the security men at the gate did not allow the coalition members to gain entrance into the market on seeing Charly Boy’s car, adding that a crowd, however, forced the gate open for everyone to access the market.

He said, “When we entered the market, a crowd surrounded Charly Boy and as he was talking to the people, some Hausa boys among the crowd shouted ‘Sai Baba.’

“Charly Boy tried to calm the crowd, but one of them assaulted him and before you know it, we were surrounded by Hausa boys who started throwing stones at us. I ran into a restaurant and went out through the back door, but I met them waiting outside with big stones, sticks and knives; I shouted, ‘I’m a journalist,’ but they ignored my cries.

“I ran and a big stone hit me in the face; I almost fell, but I kept running. I found myself in a corner and as they closed in on me, I shouted again that I was a journalist and I brought out my identity card. One of them looked at it and asked the others to allow me to go.”

The reporter said he saw the mob attacking Charly Boy with stones as he ran, noting that he might have been killed if he was caught.

“Charly Boy was lucky to escape, I saw him running towards a cul-de-sac and a big stone hit him on the back,” he added.

The Co-convener of the #ResumeOrResign protests, Deji Adeyanju, explained that they were at the market to see a few of Charly Boy’s friends when some miscreants attacked them with stones, shouting Sai Baba.

He said, “About 25 of them attacked us, but before we got to Charly Boy’s car, they had vandalised it. A journalist was also injured. Charly Boy was just going round, greeting the people in the market when the boys came. First, they wanted to engage us, but we said no and tried to leave, but they attacked us.”

Adeyanu also wrote on Twitter, “They attacked us with policemen last Tuesday. They tried to attack us at Unity Fountain with their government sponsored thugs. Today is Wuse Market.

“Charly Boy’s car was damaged by thugs. This is a senseless government. #ResumeOrResign.

“There are notes wrappers all over Unity Fountain shared by Pro-Buhari protesters. The government says it’s fighting corruption.”

Hausa, Igbo clash in market

An eyewitness, who identified himself simply as Tunji, explained that after the hoodlums attacked the protesters, the Igbo traders in the market mobilised and retaliated with stones.
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source : PUNCH