The Government’s Reaction To Peaceful Protests Has Been Shocking – CHSR

The Center for Human and Socio-economic Rights, CHSR has come out to blast the arrests of some protesters who were arrested at Lekki Tollgate Plaza, the scheduled venue of the #OccupyLekki Protests.

This was recently revealed in a statement signed by its National President, Comrade Alex Omotehinse and General Secretary, Comrade Ewajane Osowo, and Nigerians have been reacting.

According to them, the protesters have a right to protest as it is enshrined in section 39 and 40 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, so it is shocking that the government is not comfortable with it.

The group then urged the leadership of Lagos State police command to call his men to order, and order them to stop harassing innocent citizen who are demanding for their rights legitimately without breaking the law.

It read, “The information before us is that, the arrested and brutalized protesters have been taken to the Adeniji Adele police station and the state CID Panti.”

“The Protesters were protesting against the reopening of the Lekki toll gate plaza the venue of the 20th October 2020 shooting that led to the death and left some Endsars protesters injured.”

“The situation that prompted the Lagos State government to set up a judicial panel of enquiry to look into the complaint of aggrieved persons while the panel is yet to round up their investigations.”

“From the report reaching us now is that over 10 innocent Lagosians has been arrested by the police at the toll gate and taken into custody and it was also reported that any passerby that pass through the toll gate without any Identity card, the police will presume such person to be a protester and will be arrested.”

“It’s important to draw the attention of the police to the press release by the Honourable Attorney General of Lagos state yesterday where in one of the paragraphs, he emphasized that the Commissioner of Police should take note that the protesters has right to protest as it is enshrined in section 39 and 40 of the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.”

“Therefore we urge the leadership of Lagos State police command to call his men to order, to stop harassing innocent citizen while demanding for their rights legitimately without breaking law and order.”