IBADAN, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – The spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin has explained why the Police Officers teargassed peaceful protesters at the EndSARs procession at the Lekki tollgate area of the state.
Hundeyin, told Channels Television that some of the participants were “unruly” and climbed the top of the toll gate.
“That was not needed. You are doing a procession, just walk past. But these people now stopped there and climbed on the toll gate, becoming a nuisance, threatening to break down the existing law and order.
“We can’t stand there and watch them misbehave. The least we could do was to use teargas, any other thing apart from teargas will be more harmful.
“There is no record of injury. We only did our job and faced those who were unruly,” he said.
“The ongoing protest has been peaceful and protesters have behaved themselves appropriately until some protesters became unruly and the police had to disperse them for constituting nuisance,” Hundeyin said.
Voiceofnaija.ng had earlier reported that police operatives had dispersed peaceful protesters with teargas.
Videos and pictures that emerged online 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 organizers 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 organizers, 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.