Gunshots rent the air on Monday morning as well-armed policemen and soldiers chased and forcibly dispersed members of the RevolutionNow movement who converged on the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

“The protesters, who arrived at the stadium around 7am on Monday, for the kick-off of the protest met a detachment of policemen at the entrance of the stadium.

“Some soldiers later joined the policemen,” reports TheCable.

It quoted one of the protesters by name Eliaz Ozikpu as lamenting that he was discussing the protest plans with others when security operatives crossed over the road to meet them.

“We were standing here, while they watched us from the other side. Suddenly, they moved on us and said we can’t talk to the press. We weren’t even talking to the press yet. We were addressing ourselves,” Ozikpu was quoted as saying.

“The protesters, however, started chanting calling for the release of Omoyele Sowore, convener of the movement who was arrested Saturday by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS),” the report added.

News Express reports that both the Police and The Presidency had categorised the protest as treasonable felony and warned the organisers to abandon the venture but lawyers and activists disagreed, saying that street protest cannot be regarded as treason.