Popular entertainer and social activist, Charles Oputa also known as Charly boy has revealed that he was assaulted by a policeman during the protest at the Unity ground, Abuja.
Charly Boy in a telephone interview with THE PUNCH, said one of the policemen, who attacked the protesters with water cannons and tear gas cannisters, used the butt of his gun to hit him in his eyes.
He said;
“We were not even up to 10 people that set out for the Unity Fountain. When we got there, we met close to 200 policemen. Initially they tried to stop us from going further. But we explained to them that ours would be a peaceful demonstration. I gave them the assurance that we were not going to anywhere else and the protest would not be hijacked by hoodlums.
“Before we knew it, they started with the water cannon. Then they tear-gassed us and set their dogs against us. Worried, I went to one of the policemen who was standing near me and asked him why they resorted to such action. Instead of responding to me, he suddenly raised the butt of his gun and hit me in the eye.”
Oputa said he was immediately rushed to a clinic for treatment and said;
“We are coming out tomorrow. It is better they kill me now because I will never stop speaking for the masses of this country,”