Charly Boy, a musician and leader of #OurMumuDonDo protesters demanding for the return or resignation of ailing President Muhammadu Buhari, has branded the federal government “evil”.

Reacting to claim by the police that he was not touched during the protest on Tuesday in Abuja, where he collapsed after police fired tear gas canisters and water cannon at the demonstrators, Charly Boy accused the government of lying and cheating.

“Enough of all of this rubbish,” Chaly Boy, whose real name is Charles Oputa, told Saharareporters.

“The government lies, steals and cheats. It is an evil government. Although I have a few good people as friends who happen to be policemen, the truth is that the police is nobody’s friend especially the common people.

“We have a government of lies and deceit; even the police lie. It was on the social media for everyone to see. They said they were trying to protect people against miscreants but who are these miscreants that 150 policemen could not contain and then they began to spray water cannon on just seven people?

“Nobody paid us to come and talk about how we feel; that is why our numbers are small. The few people that have embarked on this protest are those who are willing to die for what they believe in and this concern Nigerians.”

Charly Boy said he was used to being roughened, referring to his manhandling by the police during the protest. Police had said that Charly Boy was not manhandled as he claimed, but that he fainted when he saw journalists and camera men.

“You know you cannot make an omelet without breaking an egg,” he said.

“You cannot be in this kind of struggle and do not expect people to misunderstand you, twist your intentions and roughen you up a little. These are the kind of things that happen especially when you are fighting a good fight and that is what we are doing. I am used to being roughened.”

While reacting to the lukewarm response of other celebrities to the protest, he noted that only a few Nigerians are responsible for the suffering that the ordinary Nigerian is passing through which he said only a few Nigerians are needed to rescue.

“The bible says, many are called but few are chosen. If there are only two of us, we are going to keep insisting on the right thing. Don’t forget, I did not start this movement. It was some young Nigerians that started it and they roped me into it.

“My job as an Area Fada is to guide them because what was missing in the past which made people claim that the youths have gone to sleep is that they did not have the right leadership. I have come out to say that I would take a bullet on their behalf because I feel and believe that this country would only be saved by some exceptional youths.

“We are not looking for a crowd. Like I always say, the people holding Nigeria at its jugular, those who are responsible for the excruciating poverty Nigerians are going through are not up to 50. My own equation is that the people that would rescue this country may not be up to 20 despite the fact that they would try and kill some or throw tear gas at them.”

Asked whether the agitation would make any impact, he said that the aim was to force a force a discussion.

“We want Nigerians to think because the truth is that it is young people that rule the world now, the old people are just there to advise the young, and I am talking about old people with brain. The future belongs to the youth but in Nigeria, it is not so. Normally the government is meant to fear the masses but in Nigeria, the reverse is the case.

“The government is supposed to be afraid of us and they would soon begin to fear us because all these things that are happening in Nigeria must stop. We cannot have just a few people benefiting at the expense of the nation.”