Lagos Police Watch As Hoodlums Attack Protesters, Chase Journalists At Ojota

Officers of the Lagos Police Command on Monday evening watched as hoodlums with heavy sticks attacked protesters as they closed for day 5 of the 10-day protests seeking policy changes.

A report by a West Africa Weekly correspondent indicates that an unidentified reporter was beaten inside the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park at Ojota right before the Lagos Commission of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, left the procession.

In the gathering of the reports, the hoodlums, less than 20, crossed the road, attacking protesters who were already leaving for home. The second batch of police around the water canon became aware and shot tear gas, which made the hoodlums retreat to a nearby street.

As the incident occurred in the presence of police yesterday evening without a single arrest, the hoodlums on Tuesday reportedly chased journalists who were waiting for protesters at the park the following day.

According to FIJ, the Lagos police officers forcefully evicted journalists from the park, stating that their presence was attracting attention.

The police officers reiterated the statement of the Lagos Command Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, who on Sunday, after President Bola Tinubu’s speech, stated that the gathering of #EndBadGovernance protests is no longer welcome.

The protest has been called off because of the President’s speech. They believe that the President has spoken and are looking forward to him meeting their demands, the commissioner told journalists on Sunday.

One of the police officers reportedly said journalists gathering was unwelcome since #EndBadGovernance protesters were not at the venue around noon.

The pressmen at the venue protested the directive, challenging the imposition of press freedom. Still, the police said journalists were posing a threat to the park and its environs when, in fact, hoodlums attacked protesters on Monday evening as they ended the procession around 4:00 pm (WAT).

As police officers evicted journalists away from the park on Tuesday, hoodlums took the opportunity to assault the retreating journalists under the pedestrian bridge at Ojota.

This indicates an attempt to ban citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and disrupt the planned 10-day protests seeking to demand policy changes to stem the increasingly high cost of living.

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About The Author

Mayowa Durosinmi

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M. Durosinmi is a West Africa Weekly investigative reporter covering Politics, Human Rights, Health, and Security in West Africa and the Sahel Region

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