Standing amidst a crowd of resolute demonstrators, Sowore claimed that the substance used to disperse the gathering was not standard tear gas, but a more potent, potentially toxic chemical agent.
Sowore described a scene where a canister, allegedly carried by a police officer who subsequently retreated into the legislative complex, released an unusual, odorless substance.
He suggested that the protest was being used as a testing ground for newly imported chemical irritants, drawing a connection to past controversial statements regarding the procurement of specialized security equipment.
Sowore said, "We were teargassed with a poisonous gas. Anybody who witness it, was it tear gas? It was a poison gas that was released from a canister that was carried by a policeman who has now run inside. El-Rufai said they imported odourless gas, maybe this is the first place they want to use it."
The #OccupyNASS movement, which entered its second week in February 2026, centers on a singular demand: the mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results in the ongoing Electoral Act amendment.
Protesters are specifically challenging the Senate's decision to soften clauses that would legally require polling units to transmit results directly to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
The demonstration has transformed into a rare coalition of civil society groups and high-profile figures, including Peter Obi and Rotimi Amaechi.
Security forces, comprised of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, and the Civil Defence, have responded by blocking major access roads to the National Assembly, creating a tense standoff within the Three Arms Zone.
Despite the heavy barricades and the reported use of irritants, organizers maintain that the occupation will persist until the legislature explicitly includes "real-time electronic transmission" in the final version of the bill to ensure transparency for the 2027 general elections.
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