Lagos - Nigerian human rights lawyer Gani Fawehinmi said on Wednesday he had been attacked by demonstrators opposed to his campaign for the prosecution of Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu.
Fawehinmi said the attack came as he emerged from a court where he was seeking to force police to prosecute Tinubu on charges of perjury in election documents ahead of the polls in February.
The lawyer, who is fighting almost a lone battle to get Tinubu prosecuted, said he was attacked by a "crowd of fierce-looking people armed with all sorts of offensive weapons, including guns".
A police escort protected him from the mob who carried placards and chanted slogans denouncing him for campaigning against Tinubu, he said in a signed statement.
His car was damaged in the attack, he said, adding he had reported the alleged incident to the police.
He expressed disappointment that such an incident happened less than five months into civilian rule. "If they go on this way, if they cannot tolerate dissenting views or opposition, democracy is in trouble," he said. - Sapa-AFP