#OccupyLekki: Police arrest 30 as more protesters storm tollgate

Over 30 people have been arrested in connection with Saturday protest in Lekki tollgate as more youths stormed the arena to express their dissatisfaction with the ruling of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Enquiry on the reopening of the tollgate.

Soldiers were accused of firing live ammunition at #EndSARS protesters on October 20, 2020, at the Lekki toll plaza.

A popular comedian, Mr Macaroni (Debo Adebayo) was among the first set of protesters the police picked up in the morning as some #OccupyLekki protesters ignored the warnings of the Federal Government, Lagos State Government and the police that they would stop the protest.

The second set of protesters, led by an activist, Dabira, got arrested after arriving at the venue.

Though some of them were said to have initially resisted the arrest, the security operatives overpowered them.

Some of the protesters were beaten and their phones seized by the police.

Before her arrest, Dabira urged Nigerians to “stand up” for the country, adding that arresting protesters was “wrong”.

Meanwhile, some rights activists and organisations have condemned the arrest, describing the action as anti-democratic.

One of them, Amnesty International Nigeria, tweeted, “Today Amnesty International received reports of the arrest of some protesters #EndSARS at the #Lekkitollgate #Lagos. We are calling on all Nigerian authorities to demonstrate the commitment to protecting the right to peaceful protest.”

The police had earlier warned youths who planned to protest at the Lekki tollgate on Saturday (today) to shelve the idea and vowed to stop it.

But the young Nigerians, under the aegis of #EndSARS Season 2 and #OccupyLekkiTollgate, vowed to defy the government’s order.

Another group, #DefendLagos, which threatened to hold a counter protest, withdrew from the protest, noting that it was in accordance with the government’s directives that no protest should hold.

The #EndSARS Season 2 and #OccupyLekkiTollgate said their action was informed by the decision of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry allowing the Lekki Concession Company to reopen the Lekki tollgate.

Four out of the nine members of the panel faulted the report of the forensic experts hired to comb the scene for evidence.

The four members who faulted the forensic report also rejected the application by the LCC, operator of the Lekki tollgate, to take possession of the facility, which had been closed since the probe of the shootings started.

The four members who rejected the forensic report are the two representatives of the civil society – Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN) and Ms. Patience Udoh; as well as the two youth representatives on the panel – Rinu Oduala and Temitope Majekodunmi.

But the Chairman of the panel, retired Justice Doris Okuwobi, and four other members of the panel acceded to the LCC’s request to repossess the tollgate.

The chairman was backed by Segun Awosanya (popularly known as Segalink), Oluwatoyin Odusanya (Director, Citizens Rights), DIG Taiwo Lakanu (retd.) (representing the police) and Lucas Koyejo (from the National Human Rights Commission).