EndSARS: FG, Police, LASG warn against fresh protests

EndSARS: FG, Police, LASG warn against fresh protests

ON FEBRUARY 12, 2021 7:24 AM IN NEWS, POLITICS

…Warns security agents ready for any eventuality

…Don’t cause trouble, LASG warns protesters

…No protest’ll hold at Lekki tomorrow, Lagos CP vows

…No going back, organisers declare

…Reconsider on protests, LCC begs protesters

By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor, Olasunkanmi Akoni & Juliet Umeh

The Federal and Lagos State governments yesterday warned organisers of #OccupyLekki protests to desist from their action slated for tomorrow or face their wrath.

Aside from both governments, Lagos State Police Commissioner, Mr. Hakeem Odumosu, also advised the protest organisers to have a rethink but the organisers insisted that they would not be intimidated into backing down.

The organisers of the protest had said earlier in the week that it was meant to counter the pronouncement of Lagos State Panel on #EndSARS protest which gave Lekki Concession Company, operators of Lekki Toll Gate, the all-clear to restart operations.

This is even as another group of protesters vowed to counter the #OccupyLekki protest to save Lagos from further destruction.

Speaking on the planned protest at a media briefing in Abuja yesterday, Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the Federal Government will not fold its arms and allow another round of protests under the banner of the #ENDSARS movement.

Mohammed, who pointed out the atrocities visited on the country and Nigerians during the violent #EndSARS protests of last October, warned: “Any further resort to violence in the name of #EndSARS will not be tolerated this time.

Security agents ready, says FG

“The security agents are ready for any eventuality. A situation in which six soldiers and 37 policemen were murdered in cold blood by hoodlums will not repeat itself. The attack, looting and razing of 269 private and public property will not happen  again. The killing of 57 civilians will not be re-enacted.

“Let me be clear: While peaceful protests are the constitutional rights of Nigerians, violent protests are not. At this time, the chances that any peaceful protest will be hijacked are very high.

“Based on the intelligence at the disposal of the Federal Government, some Nigerian activists have linked up with others outside Nigeria, including subversive elements, with a view to destabilizing the country. We cannot and must not allow this to happen.

“Never again will the Federal Government allow  the kind of violence that was perpetrated across the country under the  guise of #EndSARS last October. Never again will anyone or group be  allowed to destroy cities or to kill and maim innocent citizens, including security agents, under any guise.

“The #EndSARS campaign last October started as a peaceful protest  against police brutality. As a government that believes in the  constitutionally-guaranteed right of citizens to engage in peaceful protests, the Federal Government did nothing to hinder the protests  for as long as they remained peaceful.

“Not only that, the Federal Government moved swiftly to accede to the five-point demands by the #EndSARS campaigners which are immediate release of all arrested protesters; justice for all deceased victims of police brutality and  appropriate compensation for their families; setting up of an independent body to oversee the investigation  and prosecution of all reports of police misconduct within 10 days; in line with the new Police Act, psychological evaluation and  retraining (to be confirmed by an independent body) of all disbanded  SARS officers before they can be redeployed; and an increase in police salary, so  they are adequately compensated for protecting the lives and property of citizens.

“Unfortunately, despite the acceptance of the demands, the protesters misread the Federal Government’s respect for the rule of law and defiantly continued to demonstrate and occupy a public  facility, even after a curfew was declared by Lagos State government.

“This led to a series of actions that culminated in the  hijacking of the protests by hoodlums who perpetrated unimaginable  violence in Lagos and other cities across the country.

“The trillion-Naira destruction of Lagos, in particular, remains  too fresh a wound. Hundreds, including the youth, lost their  livelihoods to the wanton attacks in Lagos. The burnt wreckage of  public buses that were wantonly set ablaze by rampaging hoodlums  remain in their positions as a sad and gory reminder of the  unprecedented attacks. The city is still reeling from the war-like destruction.

“For those who are using justice as an alibi for another round of  destruction, let me say this: As we speak, the judicial panels of  inquiry set up across the country to receive and investigate complaints of police brutality or related extra-judicial killings,  with a view to delivering justice for all victims of the dissolved  SARS and other police units, are continuing with the assignments.

Desist from protests tomorrow — FG

“In Lagos, the Judicial Panel of Inquiry has an added responsibility of  investigating the incident of October 20 at the Lekki Toll Gate. Like we have said many times, anyone who has any information on  the alleged shooting or purported massacre at the Lekki Toll Gate,  including the names and addresses of those who were purportedly killed, should head to the panel to give it such information. “This is  how to enhance the search for justice, not by rabble-rousing or  engaging in media shows. We, therefore, strongly warn those who are planning to re-occupy  Lekki Toll Gate on Saturday to desist.