#FearlessOctoberProtest: Showdown Looms As Military Dominates Eagle Square With 10 Trucks

Ten military trucks with armed personnel were stationed within the Eagle Square general area in Abuja, 

yesterday, as tensions mounted ahead of today’s planned #Fearless October protests.

The Eagle Square has continued to serve as a venue for transition of presidential power since the return to democratic rule in 1999. 

No fewer than 100 combatready soldiers mounted the mini military trucks, as at 4:48pm, and 5:20pm when our correspondent drovethrough the critical national asset.

According to the New Telegraph, next to the strategically important national asset is a busy bus station 

where afterwork commuters from outlying towns including Karu, Nyanya, jikwoyi, Kubwa, Lugbe, 

and others congregate.

But there was no harassment as the sharpeyed soldiers stayed in their cars, apparently hoping for a peaceful outing. It was unsuccessful to obtain Major General Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations, to comment on the deployment because, as of the time this article was published, the senior officer was not returning calls.

However, a highly-placed establishment official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, simply said:“The Guards Brigade, and Army Headquarters (AHQ) Garrison, will not compromise their collective mandate of ensuring a secure, peaceful Abuja, the seat of power, where the First Family live.”

Available reports show that organisers of today’s protests may have conveyed their plans to converge on Eagle Square, among other venues in strategic locations. The planned outing is said to be part two of what was tagged, #EndBadGovernance Protest in August, which resulted in killings, looting, and destruction of property