RAYMOND TEDUNJAYE, Lagos.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police Fayoade Adegoke, the Oba of Lagos HRM Rilwan Osuolale Akiolu and Senator Eshilokun Sanni Eshilokun and others have warned Lagos residents of the danger inherent in the planned nation wide hunger protest by some elements.
Speaking at a security stakeholders meeting held Friday at Campus Square, Lagos Island, they stressed that the protest might result in a similar occurrence like that of Endsars, where policemen were killed and several properties looted and destroyed.
They urged Lagos residents to shun the protest, saying it would not yield any meaningful result but retrogression.
CP Fayoade, who declared the meeting opened, however assured that all the security agencies are fully prepared to offer adequate security to ensure a peaceful protest in the event that it holds in the state.
He cautioned residents against attacking any protester, but should go about their lawful businesses, assuring that the police and other sister agencies have the capability to ensure the safety of all residents.
” We don’t want enemy of progress to come and disrupt the peace of the State, as police officers, we want progress and development.
We’re all aware that some elements are threatening to take over Lagos starting from on the 1st of August.
” If you recall the Endsars saga, they did a lot of atrocious things, they killed, maim many people, burnt, damaged and destroyed property, the State government is yet to recover from the lost, billion naira worth of properties were looted and damaged. The police is out to sensitise the residents in order to forestall a repeat of such incident.”
He hinted that all the security agencies in the state have held meetings and resolved that protest should not hold because it may result in violence.
According to the Police Commissioner, if there would be protest for whatever reason, the constitution says that it can be peaceful protest and it must not infringe on the right of another person.
” It’s the constitutional right of every Nigerians to carry out protest, but the underlying factor is that the protest must be peaceful, it must not infringe on the right of another person. Anybody has the right to be on the street to protest, but any protest that will infringe on the rights of others is no longer a peaceful protest, it is illegal, and would not be allowed. From what the elements are saying on the social media platforms, it shows that the protest would not be peaceful and as a result of that we have to be very careful.
” That is the reason we are here, to help us implore our youths not to come out for any violent protest because the security agencies will be everywhere. We will not allow the citizens to be molested, we will not allow you to be prevented from carrying out your normal daily business activities, we will be everywhere to provide security for you, cover the public space to make sure that no area in the state is disturbed.
“Our commitment is that every part of Lagos must be peaceful. Go out to do your normal business, but warn your children who might want to participate in the protest to stay at home because we don’t want the repeat occurrence of what happened during Endsars.
” From what we read on social media platforms, they said they want a repeat of what is happening in Kenyan to take place in Nigeria, we are not prepared for that, the country needs to move on steadily. We all know things are difficult, it is not applicable to Nigeria alone, but a global phenomenon which affects the world economy right from the break out of the Covid -19 pandemics.”, Fayoade counselled.
Noting that Nigeria is part of the comity of Nations and cannot be an exception, Fayoade implored that, ” if we now have a government that is putting things right, that is facing the reality of the economy and putting measures in place to revamp the economy, I think we should give the government chance to do it. But coming on the street burning houses, causing mayhem, shorting down the economy of the country for ten days is not the best.”
Speaking further, he said, “Lagos is the epicenter of Nigeria economy, more than 70 percent of Nigeria economy is domicile in Lagos. So we can’t afford the economy of Lagos to be short down for one hour, we don’t want Lagos to be short down unnecessarily over the issue that the government is addressing. The government just announced increment in minimum wage and other measures are in place. Let’s be patience and allow these measures to start actualising and the economy will start improving. Shorting down the city and other parts of the country is not the solution to the problem.
” That is why we have come to appeal to you to please in the interest of the country we all have and love because we don’t have other country because some of us are condemned to live in this country. So we must not allow this country to be taking over by unknown elements. We don’t know them, they are just appearing on social media.
“Our chief Imams should please preach to their followers during Jumat service that we don’t want any protest and that the planners should jettison the decision because it is not going to yield any fruitful result but retrogression. Ditto in the church on Sunday, our pastors should pray for the peace and unity of the country and discourage any attempt by anybody to take over the country.
“All the market women, community, union leaders and opinion moulders have the same role to play, we should sensitise our people that this protest is not going to take place. But if by chance it takes place, am assuring you on behalf of all other security agencies that we are up to the task, we will be on ground to ensure that there is absolute peace.
Speaking at the occasion the Senator representing Lagos Central Senatorial District Senator Wasiu Sanni Eshilokun recalled the sad event of the Endsars saga, disclosing that he was the first state official that received the protesters led by a social media influencer Mr. Macroni at Alausa.
He emphasised that the Lagos State House of Assembly does not seat on Fridays, but the Speaker Hon. Mudashiru Obasa had to convene a sitting, and passed a motion, adding that all the five demands made by the protesters, including seven added to it by the Assembly, were forwarded to President Muhammad Buhari through Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, which were approved, particularly the disbandment of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS).
Cautioning against allowing a repeat of the protest, the distinguished Senator stressed that the protest would commence on a good note, but midway turn into avenue for looting, stealing and destruction of properties.
” The protest was hijacked by enemy of the State after some days. What concerns traders with Endsars protest that they went to loot their shops, stole jewelries, set ablaze the Lagos City Hall, the High Court and Palace of Oba of Lagos. Is those places the office of the Commissioner of Police or house of the Inspector General of Police? Their intention was to destroy all the good things in Lagos, they are not happy with the progress and achievement recorded by the State. The only solution is for us all to disassociate ourselves from the planned protest and not take part in it”.
In his contributions, the Oba of Lagos HRM Rilwan Osuolale Akiolu appealed to Nigerians to be patience with the government with its transformation agenda, pointing out that the economic down turn is a global issue.
Represented by high chief Lateef Aderibigbe, the number one Lagos monarch implored that the unknown elements should not be allowed to short down the state as did during the Endsars episode.
He urged all the participants to disseminate the message of the meeting to their various communities back home in order to ensure a peaceful and crisis free state.
Other speakers at the meeting include the Ojora of Ijora and kingdom HRM Oba Abdulfatai Oyeyinka Aromire, the Leader of Arewa Community, Ajeromi -Ifelodun Local Government Council, chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Comrade Mustapha Adekunle a.k.a Sego, chairman Iru-Victoria Island LCDA, representatives of Iyaloja General Chief Mrs. Shade Ojo-Tinubu and host of others.
In attendance were the Area Commander, Area “B” Apapa, ACP Sunday Opebiyi, his Area “A” counterpart Aisha Haruna, Divisional Police Officers of Lion Building, Badia, Amukoko, Iponri, Ajeromi, Tolu, Bode Thomas, Orile, Aguda,Denton, Ebute-Ero and other senior officers.