A detachment of policemen led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Mr. Tunde Sobulo, fired teargas indiscriminately at protesters marching from the state house of assembly towards the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota, Lagos.
During the march tagged, “Defy The Dictator,” the protesters converged on the house of assembly to demand the immediate withdrawal of soldiers from the streets of Lagos and the reversal of the pump price of petrol to N65.
The protesters then began to march from the assembly complex at Alausa, Ikeja to the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota, having obtained a permit from the state government to hold a rally there.
The park was the venue of five days of rallies, where various speakers spoke for five days against the removal of fuel subsidy.
However, they were warned by policemen not to go beyond the house of assembly to the park.
Led by a former Minister of Education, Prof. Ben Nwabueze; human rights lawyers, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite and Mr. Festus Keyamo, they defied the police warning and continued towards the park.
Speaking at the assembly, Braithwaite said the deployment of soldiers in Lagos was totally unwarranted while Nwabueze said it was unfortunate.
They were received by some members of the house, who said the deployment of soldiers was unacceptable.
They ran into a barricade mounted by the police and soldiers at 7Up Bottling Company on the Secretariat Road. The police also mounted a separate barricade on Ikosi Road, across the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway as well as the nearby Kudirat Abiola Road.
The situation caused traffic jams in the Alausa and Ojota areas.
To stop the protesters from getting to the park, the policemen fired several canisters of tearsgas, forcing many of the marchers to scamper to safety.
The marchers returned again and sat on the road, refusing to move.
The protesters then turned back towards the Governor’s Office.
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this rubbish.jonathan is loossing it.he needs to change his advisers. this is democracy
ReplyDeleteI hope Jonathan's 'kingdom' dont tear away from him like God tore away Solomon's son; Rehoboam who lost his kingdom due to wrong advisers and stubborness
ReplyDeleteIf they truly say we practice true democracy, then the will of the people must reflect in the governance of this country. let the government adhere to the tenets of true democracy.
ReplyDeleteWHAT DO YOU PEOPLE WANT FROM THE GOVT? OBEYING CONSTITUTED AUTHORITY IS ALSO ONE OF THE TENETS OF DEMOCRACY. MANY ASSUME THAT THE PRESIDENT IS WEAK AND ARE WILLING TO TEST HIS WILL AND RESOLVE TO IMPROVED THE ECONOMY. PLEASE GIVE HIM A CHANCE TO MAKE THINGS BETTER
ReplyDeleteThis is purely lawlessness, if there is breakdown of law and order in Lagos whose responsibility will it be, the protesters or the president? Lets leave the president alone to do what we elected him to do.
ReplyDeleteMany Nigerian are being slaughtered here and there in the north, nothing is done to the people masterminding this rather the interest of Jonathan's governement is to haunt for peaceful protesters in Lagos. The Madalla bomber was arrested and all of a sudden he escaped, the INEC building bumbers are granted bail of #24m yesterday. What is this country turning to. May God help the poor citizens of this country.
ReplyDelete