Officers of the Lagos State Police Command on Wednesday dispersed some protesting physically-challenged athletes in the Surulere area of the state.

The para-athletes staged a protest by the National Stadium, traffic gridlock along the Funsho Williams Avenue.

The protesters expressed their displeasure at the alleged exclusion of some para sports like swimming and tennis from the forthcoming National Sports Festival scheduled to hold from November 28 till December 10, 2022.

With placards carrying different inscriptions, they alleged discriminatory practices against them, adding that para-athletes from other countries were invited to the games at the detriment of indigenous athletes who have trained for months without salaries.

The protest forced many commuters to abandon their vehicles and take to trekking to beat the traffic.

The police were said to have tear-gassed the protesters in an attempt to disperse them.

Police spokesman in Lagos, Benjamin Hundeyin, in a tweet, said “minimal force” was used on the protesters after the “refused to leave the highway”.

“A group of people were dispersed with minimal force, as prescribed by law, after they refused all persuasion to leave the highway for free flow of traffic.

“Many Nigerians had complained of being illegally restrained in traffic. We rose to the occasion. No assault, injury or death,” he stated. (Channels TV: Text, excluding headline)

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