Police Ban Public Protests in Lagos

The Lagos State Police Command has banned public protests in Lagos, declaring that the demonstration planned for tomorrow by a group of activists would not be allowed to hold.

On Thursday, the police tear-gassed Nigeria’s foremost constitutional lawyer, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, ex-Minister of Finance, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu, and the Nigeria Action Coalition (NAC) chieftain, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, among several others during a peaceful protest against the deployment of soldiers in the state.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Yakubu Alkali, Thursday banned the rally planned by the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) for the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, Ojota.

Spearheaded by the Convener of SNG, Pastor Tunde Bakare, the rally was supposed to be a victory march in commemoration of the success of the five-day peaceful protests held at the Park last week.

N/E gathered that the group had written to the state police command for permission to hold the rally.
Alkali turned down their request on the ground that the security situation in the state was not conducive for the gathering of a large number of people.

The group had already sought and secured the consent and written approval from the state governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, to hold the rally at the park.

Thursday’s protest by eminent Nigerians, which kicked off at the Lagos State House of Assembly Complex at exactly 10:30am, was abruptly halted by the police officers led by a Deputy Commissioner of Police (in-charge of operations), Mr. Tunde Sobulo, opposite Eleganza Industries along Mobolaji Johnson Road, Alausa, while a detachment of the security operatives was positioned at the 7UP junction, shooting canisters of teargas at the protesters.

During the operation by Sobulo, Chairman of the Committee for Protection of the People’s Mandate, Mr. Nelson Ekujumi, was seriously affected and consequently fainted owing to the effect of the teargas.

Fearing further attacks, the protesters, who were led by 83-year-old Nwabueze, unwillingly changed their course and headed towards Lagos State Secretariat, marching peacefully and calling for the immediate withdrawal of troops from Lagos streets and convocation of sovereign national conference to chart a new course for Nigeria.

At the House of Assembly, the protesters were received by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Kolawole Taiwo.
Before the protest took off at the Assembly Complex, Sobulo had tried in vain to dissuade the protesters, who were heading to the Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota, on the premise that the venue was not safe for them.

Addressing the protesters, Sobulo said the state Police Command could not guarantee their protection and safety if the protest continued.

He said: “The police are in support of the protest but you cannot go there now because it is not safe there. I cannot predict what will happen at Ojota. For now, you have registered your grievances. The government has done what it is believed should be done. Status quo must be adhered to and must be respected.”

While Nwabueze left the scene after the protesters were tear-gassed, Braithwaite expressed profound concern about the manner the police officers prevented them from exercising their constitutional rights.

He said the police were trying to criminalise decent citizens of the country.

“Let the world see what is happening to the citizens of this country. Nigeria is a country that has responsible citizens being governed by irresponsible citizens.

“This is just a peaceful protest that is guaranteed under the constitution of the country. The police intended to turn it into a violent crackdown. They will not succeed. We are on the right path. These are decent citizens who are being criminalised by people whom their way to the office we know much about,” he said.

But Braithwaite, chairman of the defunct Nigeria Advanced Party (NAP), said the attack by the police would not intimidate them, adding: “If they thought the shooting of canisters will intimidate us, they are joking. It has hardened our resolve.”

Speaking before the protesters started marching, Nwabueze cleared the air that the protest was not an attempt “to bring anarchy into the country, but express the need to bring about a new Nigeria”.

He explained that the protesters were canvassing the need “to cleanse this country of all ill activities. Every aspect of life and administration of government in Nigeria is rotten. We thought that the strike called by NLC and TUC was the best opportunity for Nigerians to register their grievances”.

“It is historic meeting. It is the beginning of events to come. I will like to call it the beginning of a revolution to come. We thought that the strike called by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) was the best opportunity for Nigerians to register their grievances.

“When all this started, we thought we were working together. But they compromised 180 million Nigerians. What they did should not be looked at as disappointment but should provoke anger that will galvanise us all to action. We have a challenge before us to cleanse rottenness from the country. All this require the mobilisation of all sectors of the country. I will write series of papers to challenge all the illicit acts of the government,” he said.

The constitutional lawyer therefore called for a national sovereign conference, stating that if the National Assembly failed to convene it as demanded, “we will carry it out ourselves”.

In his address, Kalu said the major objective of the movement was to set up a people-oriented constitution, which he said, was required “to protect the right of over 180 million Nigerians wherever they are across the world”.

The ex-minister further explained that “governance is about people. What we are doing is in the interest of everybody and not in the interest of any individual. We are not here to riot or disturb the peace of this country. This is how every nation that is great, achieve what they are enjoying today”.

Other Nigerians at the protest included Mr. Abdulrahman Ahmad of Ansar-Ur-Deen Society of Nigeria, Mr. Isiak Akintola of Muslim Rights Concern and Mr. Wale Okunniyi of Pro-National Conference among others.

Pro-democracy groups such as: Enough is Enough, Occupy Nigeria, Joint Action Forum, MKO June 12 Movement, Patriotic Front Movement, United Action for Democracy and Conference of Islamic Organisation were represented at the protest.

When contacted, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Samuel Jinadu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said the actions of the policemen were appropriate and within the ambits of the law.