JUST IN: Why We Dispersed Protesters At Lekki Toll Gate – Lagos Police

The Lagos Police Command has reacted to the dispersal of ‘peaceful protesters’ with tear gas at the going EndSARs procession at the Lekki tollgate area of the state.

The State’s Police Spokesperson Ben Hundeyin in a phone conversation with THE WHISTLER noted that the police only targeted unruly protesters and not the peaceful ones.

“The ongoing protest has been peaceful and proesters have behaved themselves appropriately until some protesters became unruly and the police had to disperse them for constituting nuisance,” Hundeyin said.

THE WHISTLER had earlier reported that police operatives had dispersed peaceful protesters with teargas. Videos and pictures on the internet showed how participants scampered for safety.

Nigerians had taken “peaceful walk” through the Lekki Toll gate in Lagos to commemorate the memorial of the unfortunate incident of October 20, 2020, where scores of protesters were reportedly killed and bruised.

According to the organisers of the protest, participants will “walk and drive” through the gate; blast horns, sing and chant in unison through the toll gate while waving their flag.

Citizens were also enjoined to visit the toll gate throughout the day to pay their respect to the dead on their way.

The organisers, however, pleaded with participants to avoid politicizing the procession as the event was strictly for the victims of EndSARs and police brutality.

Recall that thousands of young Nigerians gathered two years ago at the Lekki toll gate to protest against police brutality while seeking good governance, disbandment of SARs and upscale of police welfare.

The shooting, reportedly executed by the military had not only cost the lives of young Nigerians at the tollgate but others in some parts of the country where the protest was held.

Two years after, neither the military nor the Federal Government has authoritatively accounted for such action, rather has denied that the shooting and death occurred.

On the other hand, the Lagos Panel in November 2021, admitted the death of nine protesters among 48 casualties who were confirmed to have been missing or severely injured.