#EndSARSMemorial: Police disperse Lekki tollgate protesters with tear gas • Arrests hoodlums with machete, hammer, knifes
By Oki Samson, Trek Africa Newspaper
Police operatives in Lagos State Command has on Wednesday fired teargas at some protesters at the Lekki tollgate.
The protesting youths had converged on the Lekki tollgate to mark the first anniversary of #EndSARS saga in the country.
Earlier, operatives of the Lagos Command has arrested two protesters.
One of those arrested claimed to be a journalist while the other was seen carrying a placard.
Meanwhile, a large numbers of police patrol vehicles, trucks, cars, LASTMA vehicles, LNSA vehicles and armed personnel were on ground at the tollgate to enforce a ban on street protests issued by the police command.
The #EndSARS protests which were held in October 2020 were against the activities of the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a unit of the Nigeria Police Force which was accused of police brutality.
Meanwhile, it will be recalled that, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, CP Hakeem Odumosu has ban street protest through a press statement e-signed and released by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu.
CSP Ajisebutu stated that, “The police will only allow indoor and virtual events in commemoration of the #EndSARS anniversary and will provide adequate security at the venue(s) if known. This is in recognition of the rights of every Nigerian to express his or her interest.
“We wish we could permit such street protests. However, intelligence at our disposal has revealed plans by some faceless groups or individuals to stage an anti-#EndSARS anniversary protest in the state on the same day, he stated.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu, has disclosed the reason he ordered his officers to tear gas #EndSARS Memorial protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate on Wednesday.
Speaking with newsmen, Odumosu said the police fired tear gas at the protesters to avoid a breakdown of law and order some opportunists.
The CP noted that he ordered his men to tear gas the protesters because they went against the promise earlier made that the procession will start by 8 am and end by 10 am.
Odumosu added that any demonstration beyond the agreed time is constituting a nuisance and will not be tolerated.
The Commissioner said: “The protest was between 8 am and 10 am, anything, after 10 am, is a nuisance.
“I discussed with them and they said they will end the protest by 10 o’clock. Other people doing it now just causing a nuisance. some were seen carrying machete, hammer, knifes, are they protesters or miscreants?
“The protesters are free; they have done their thing and left. Any other persons remaining are the miscreants, hoodlums that want to capitalise on that to attack innocent people and start robbing people. We will not allow that.”
