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Oct 1 protests: Lagos govt insists on two designated venues

Published

2 months ago

September 30, 2024

Lagos state Commissioner of Police, Olanrewaju Ishola

Oct 1 protests: Lagos govt insists on two designated venues

The Lagos State Government has advised organisers of the October 1 protest not to disrupt the social and economic activities in the state during their protest saying that the directives of the governor of the State to the Commissioner of Police of Lagos State for maintenance and securing of public safety and public order during the protest stands

The state government also said that a Lagos High Court order which restricted the protest to Freedom and Peace Parks in the Ojota and Ketu areas of the state is still binding.

Recall that the organisers of the October 1 protest at a press briefing last Thursday had stated that the protest in Lagos will commence at Ikeja under bridge at 7:30am, with participants marching through various streets to raise awareness on what they described as ‘anti poor policies’ of the federal government.

They also requested the Lagos state Commissioner of Police, Olanrewaju Ishola, to provide adequate security for all protesters in line with the Police Establishment Act 2020.

Responding to questions by some journalists on the issue on Sunday, the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Lawal Pedro, SAN, noted that the state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu is not opposed to any group of residents expressing their view about any government by way of public protest, but that such expression must be done within the confines of the law.

Pedro stated that a Lagos High Court had restricted the protest in the state to Freedom and Peace Parks in the state and urged the protesters to respect the court order by confining themselves to the two venues.

He said: “We have and shall continue to engage the civil societies and NGOs in Lagos who are genuinely interested in the development of Lagos State to explain and enlighten them that the Governor of Lagos State Babajide Sanwo-Olu is not opposed to any group of residents to express their view about any government by way of public protest as it is their fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution of Nigeria 1999.

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“However the fundamental rights to freedom of speech, association and assembly is not absolute and by virtue of section 45, section 215 (4) of the Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) and section 4 & 10(2) of the Police Act, it is lawful for the Governor of Lagos State or the Attorney General of Lagos on his behalf to give the Commissioner of Police of Lagos State directive for maintenance and securing of public safety and public order that may impact on the exercise of these fundamental rights.”

Pedro insisted that the state government would not permit any street protest that can be hijacked by criminal elements whose agenda is destruction of government or other residents’ properties.

“In that respect we advise that the organisers should utilise the designated venues in the State for public protest to wit; Freedom Park and Peace Park for adequate protection and coverage of the protest by members of the press,” he said.

Continuing, Pedro said; “It is the same set or group of people that organised the last protest that are planning the Oct 1st protest, so they should be guided by the interim preservative order of injunction of court restricting public protest in the State to designated venues for the purpose.

“More so a substantive action is pending in court against them wherein an order of Interlocutory and perpetual injunction are being sought to permanently restrict any person or group of persons that wish to organise public protest in Lagos State to do so at designated venues.

“It is settled principle of law that a defendant who is aware of a pending claim or application for injunction against him in a court of law, has an obligation to respect the court process and not engage in the same act sought to be restrained.

“Therefore whether the interim preservative order is subsisting or not, by the subsisting suit, it will be unlawful for any body, civil society or NGO in Lagos to convene any public protest outside the designated venue.

“They should use the designated venues for their protest so that adequate security protection and traffic management can be provided for them to exercise their recognised fundamental right to freedom of speech, association and assembly without fear of the protest being hijacked and turned violence as experienced during the #EndSARS protest.

“The last End bad governance protest in Lagos was violence-free and successful because it was held in designated venues for public protest in the State.

“I believe that if the real intention and plans of the organisers of the protest is to air their views and resentment against government policies and hunger in the land, making use of the designated venue will not be prejudicial to them unless of course they have a different and hidden agenda.

“I would also advise a rethink of the idea of taking over the streets of Lagos for the purpose of the protest bearing in mind that the fundamental rights of other people not interested in the protest should not be infringed upon and that the properties or businesses of other people may be destroyed if the protest is hijacked on the streets.”

Oct 1 protests: Lagos govt insists on two designated venues

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200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS

Published

4 hours ago

November 26, 2024

Trends Admin

Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa

200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has disclosed that about 200,000 repentant terrorists have so far dropped their arms and surrendered to troops in the North East, noting that the twin strategy of kinetic and non-kinetic operations was responsible for this achievement.

The CDS made this known at the Security and Justice Symposium organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in collaboration with the British High Commission, which began at the National Counterterrorism Centre in Abuja on Tuesday.

He disclosed that the theme of the symposium, ”Securing Peace, Ensuring Justice, Protection, Conduct, and Accountability,” speaks volumes about the deluge of security challenges the armed forces and security agencies are facing.

His words, “All the challenges we are facing today have to do with fairness, equity, justice, and accountability.

“There will not be peace without justice, equity, fairness, and accountability. In our operations, we are conducting both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies, which have to a large extent yielded significant successes, and we want to particularly thank the National Security Adviser for his great support in this regard.

“Nigeria is going through so many challenges, and we feel we’re able to address this, and everybody has a sense of belonging. A lot of the security challenges we are having, we are sure, will go down. I want to thank the National Security Advisor for all the support he’s given us, both the kinetic and the non-kinetic.

“We have said it; the kinetic aspect is just less than 30%. The non-kinetic has a lot to play. The non-kinetic, because when you have democracy, people must have the evidence of democracy. As long as it tells people to sleep well and be peaceful, and they are hungry, their children cannot eat, and all this creates more problems.

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“The issue of informants. We have to look at how we tackle this issue of informants. Because these are the people who have created the issue.

“Those supporting the terrorists by giving them logistics, we have to look for the oxygen. Where is the funding coming from? How are they getting the logistics across?

For us in the Armed Forces during our operations, one of the challenges is IEDs. IEDs have been the major challenge since the beginning of the insurgency. So we are looking at aspects of how we handle this, what solutions, and what new things we can do.

“Because you have to be creative. To fight this insurgency, you have to be creative and innovative every day. Because they are not relenting.

“As the theatre commander in the Northeast, we found out that if we are able to deny them this logistics, this oxygen, they will not survive. We did that, and that’s why you have almost 200,000 that have surrendered.

“But through enhanced communications and non-kinetic activities, many of the terrorists are realising the fruitlessness of what they are doing and retracing their steps.

“I’ve observed that with the asymmetrical challenges we are facing if you don’t communicate, you might be doing the right thing, but the perception might be different. And the enemy is working on that. So it’s important that we get that part right.

“And then you cannot work in isolation as a country. We need our international partners working together with us. Our neighbours are very, very relevant to us. Nigeria, as we are all aware, is surrounded by Francophone countries. And so the challenges are there.

In his remarks, the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, said, “The objective of the Security and Justice Symposium, a vital platform for dialogue and collaboration among our security and justice institutions, is clearly to delve into the successes, challenges, and opportunities for growth within the realms of security and justice.

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“As we embark on this journey of critical analysis and discussion, let us keep in mind the noble goals set before us, from analysing and strengthening the intricate relationship between military operations and law enforcement, to enhancing the protection of civilians, very important, and fostering a culture of justice and accountability, to promoting a unified approach in countering improvised explosive devices.

“Each objective is poised to make a significant impact. Our intended achievements are ambitious, of course, yet entirely within our reach.

“As we review and map existing frameworks, evaluate institutional practices, and establish collaborative mechanisms, our collective efforts will chart a course towards a safer and more just society for all.

“I am honoured to see such an esteemed gathering of key stakeholders from various sectors, including representatives from the military, law enforcement agencies, legal authorities, human rights organisations, and civil society groups. Your presence here today underscores the importance of our shared commitment to security, justice, and the well-being of our communities.

On his part, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Richard Montgomery, said, “Both Nigeria and Britain have had a good dialogue on the fact that we all face really complex security challenges in many parts of the world, certainly in the West Africa region and even in Nigeria itself, and these complex challenges require a multifaceted approach.

Expressing delight that the CDS, General Musa, talked about the nexus between civil and military collaboration, between kinetic and non-kinetic action, he said this is an area where we’ve seen some really important lessons for us emerging from the Nigerian security architecture.

“At the heart of all this is a recognition of the importance of upholding the rule of law, human rights, humanitarian law, and international humanitarian law. The importance of these principles for the way in which we tackle security challenges, and our lawyers keep telling us, and we have lawyers in the British High Commission as well as the Nigerian government.

“We need to consider the different legal principles and frameworks that apply to criminal violence or to violent conflicts and how we deal with them in protracted conflict zones, and I think that there’s already been a productive dialogue in our security defence partnership.

“The UK knows only too well from our own experience, our own involvement in armed conflict, that incorporating human rights doctrine is quite challenging. The strategies needed are not without complexity, but we do. The UK strongly believes that our commitment to these legal principles and doctrines is because of the experience we’ve had.”

200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS

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Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police

Published

5 hours ago

November 26, 2024

Trends Admin

Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police

The spokesperson for the police in Delta State, SP Bright Edafe, has confirmed the death of two robbery suspects in the state.

Mr Edafe, who disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday in Warri, said that the deceased were killed from the bullets shot by their gang members.

According to him, the incident occurred on Wednesday at Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of the state.

Mr Edafe explained that the deceased were leading the police surveillance team attached to the Ekpan Division to their hideout when they were caught during a shoot-out.

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“The suspects were arrested at Effurun roundabout with a bag containing 57 live cartridges and other items. They were leading the surveillance team to their hideout at Warri/Sapele road when their gang members, on sighting the vehicle of the police team, engaged them in a shootout.During the gun duel, the arrested suspects that were leading the police team were fatally wounded by the gun shot of their colleagues. The two injured suspects were taken to the hospital and later died while receiving treatment,” he said.

Mr Edafe said that items recovered from the hoodlums hideout included: one English pump action gun, one locally made cut-to-size gun and eight live cartridges.

Others were: six iPhones, Smart phones and a Rolex wrist watch.

He said that the command had intensified manhunt on the fleeing members of the gang.

Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police

(NAN)

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Akwa Ibom businessman abducted, driver killed, police orderly injured

Published

5 hours ago

November 26, 2024

Trends Admin

Dr. Samuel Ekerenam

Akwa Ibom businessman abducted, driver killed, police orderly injured

Gunmen kidnapped a prominent businessman, Dr. Samuel Ekerenam and k!lled his driver in Eket town, the headquarter of Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Ekerena, the owner of Hephzibah Mall, was abducted about 10:00pm on Saturday, 23 November, 2024.

It was gathered that the gunmen trailed the victim to the shopping complex, shooting sporadically to scare the passers-by away before whisking him away to an unknown destination.

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The body of Ekerenam’s driver was discovered in the pool of his blood, while his police orderly was severely wounded in the gun attack.

The spokesperson of the State Police Command, ASP Timfon John, who confirmed the incident on Monday, November 25, said the Commissioner of Police, CP Joseph Eribo has deployed tactical operatives to comb for the abducted businessman.

The PPRO added that the police were on top of the game and very soon the kidnap victim would be rescued and the perpetrators made to face the full weight of the law.