Security agents wearing balaclavas fired live ammunition at journalists shortly after noon on Saturday.
The agents, dressed in black uniforms, arrived in a convoy of about six Sienna vehicles at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium and immediately aimed their weapons at journalists, who scrambled to find safety in nearby vehicles.
A deep blue Toyota Corolla carrying reporters from Peoples Gazette and Premium Times was struck by three live bullets.
The rear windshield of another Toyota Sienna, which was transporting journalists from The Punch and The Cable, was shattered into smithereens after being shot at by the armed agents.
The journalists were stationed outside the stadium and refused a police directive to enter, arguing that the protest and demonstrators they were assigned to cover were not inside the stadium.
For the past two days, since the protests began, demonstrators have been denied access to the stadium and have instead gathered in front of the sports facility.
Reporters stood their ground to cover the activities around the stadium rather than being confined to an empty facility.
The incident occurred shortly after protesters in front of the stadium were dispersed with tear gas for also refusing to enter the stadium. Demonstrators argued that the security officers could not be trusted and feared being trapped inside the stadium with limited means of escape.
Demonstrators who spoke to The Gazette before being tear-gassed said they could not risk their lives by entering the stadium.
One protester claimed that the agents were able to intimidate demonstrators because “we are not many today.”
Disgruntled citizens are staging demonstrations across various states for 10 days to express their grievances against President Bola Tinubu’s administration, whose policies have driven inflation to record highs and plunged many families into extreme poverty.