Gunfire in Nigeria Capital as Groups Clash Over Buhari's Absence

(Bloomberg) -- Nigerian security forces used tear gas and fired weapons in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, to disperse protesters clashing over President Muhammadu Buhari’s prolonged absence from the country, Premium Times reported.

The incident occurred Tuesday at Wuse market near the center of the city when a leader of a group calling on Buhari to return or resign, a local musician and TV personality known as Charly Boy, was attacked by people believed to be supporters of the president, the Abuja-based newspaper reported.

The paper didn’t mention any injuries, while a police spokesman said he was not immediately able to comment and investigations were ongoing.

Buhari, a 74-year-old elected in 2015, has been in London since early May for treatment of an undisclosed illness, fueling concern about his ability to serve the remainder of his four-year term. He feels ready to return to Nigeria but is waiting on his doctors to allow him to travel, according to a statement from the presidency on Aug. 12.

Tuesday’s attack “was completely unprovoked,’’ according to a statement from Deji Adeyanju and Adebayo Raphael, two leaders of the so-called “Resume Or Resign” movement which has been organising protests since Aug. 7. The group will “remain resolute in demanding full disclosure regarding the state of health of the president. It is the right of the Nigerian people to know the true state of health of the man they voted into power.”

A gathering was being planned for Wednesday morning in Abuja to mark 100 days of absence of the president, Raphael said on the phone from Abuja.

To contact the reporters on this story: Paul Wallace in Lagos at pwallace25@bloomberg.net, Solape Renner in Lagos at srenner4@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Dana El Baltaji at delbaltaji@bloomberg.net, Sophie Mongalvy, Dulue Mbachu