Federal Government to Stop Planned #EndSARS Protest at Lekki Toll Gate

 

The planned protest by youths under the aegis of #OccupyLekkiTollGate protesters has come under fire as the Federal Government on Thursday warned those planning a fresh protest at the Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos on Saturday to desist.

The government said it would not allow any further resort to violence in the name of #EndSARS protest.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed handed down the warning at a press conference in Abuja.

While admitting that peaceful protests are the constitutional rights of Nigerians, the minister said violent protests are not.

He said the chances that any peaceful protest would be hijacked at this time were very high.

The minister claimed that based on the intelligence at the disposal of the Federal Government, some Nigerian activists have linked up with others outside Nigeria, “including subversive elements,” with a view to destabilising the country, adding that “We cannot and must not allow this to happen.”

Mohammed said, “Any further resort to violence in the name of EndSARS will not be tolerated this time.

“The security agents are ready for any eventuality. A situation in which six soldiers and 37 policemen were murdered in cold blood by hoodlums will not repeat itself.

“The attack, looting and razing of 269 private and public property will not happen again. The killing of 57 civilians will not be re-enacted.

“We therefore strongly warn those who are planning to re-occupy Lekki Toll Gate on Saturday to desist. We know that many of those who have been loudest on social media in advertising the plan to reconvene in Lagos on Saturday are not even in Nigeria. They are elsewhere around the world fanning the embers of violence and inciting gullible people back home. No one should fall for their antics.

“No government anywhere will allow a repeat of the kind of destruction, killing, and maiming wrought by the hijackers of EndSars protests last year. After all, only one policeman – (plus four others) – was killed in the invasion of the US Capitol in January, yet the FBI has continued
to hunt down and prosecute the perpetrators. No life is more important than the other.”

In a similar vain, the Lagos State Government has urged youths not to protest at the Lekki tollgate on Saturday, February 13.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotosho, made the appeal during an interview on Arise TV on Thursday.

Some youths had threatened to hold a fresh protest at the Lekki tollgate over plans to reopen it for operations.

Nigerian youths according to media sources have begun to gather and mobilise on social media with #RevolutionNow and #OccupyLekkiTollGate, with the matter trending as number one and three on Twitter.

Information on the online posters showed that the protest is planned to start at 7 am on Saturday, February 13, 2020.

Some of the posters have inscriptions such as “No justice, no reopening”, and “Occupy Lekki tollgate” among others.

Meanwhile, some youths have also announced plans to organise a counter-protest at the Lekki tollgate on Saturday, February 13.

The counter-rally, which is trending on Twitter as #DefendLagos and #DemNoBornYourPapaWell, is to protest against protesters of #OccupyLekkiTollGate.

The poster of counter-rally shared on social media showed that it is holding at the same venue and time as the one planned by the #OccupyLekkiTollGate protesters.