VIDEO: Five Arrested as Lagos Police Disperse Protesters with Teargas, Gunshots in Lagos

VIDEO: Five Arrested as Lagos Police Disperse Protesters with Teargas, Gunshots in Lagos

By Sunday Ehigiator

No fewer than five protesters were arrested at Ojota, Freedom Park area of Lagos State by men of the Nigeria Police during a peaceful protest held in commemoration of the 2021 Democracy Day.

The protesters, numbering over a hundred, had converged on Ojota around 7:30am on Saturday, to demand for a better Nigeria through a peaceful protest. Policemen, numbering over 30, who had earlier been stationed around the Park to prevent protesters from gaining access to the park fired gunshots in the air and shots teargas at the peaceful protesters.

As the protesters scampered for safety, five of them were arrested, manhandled and bundled into an RRS Black-Maria Van in waiting.

However, the state Commissioner of Police, CP. Hakeem Odumosu, upon receiving information about the incident, ordered the immediate release of the protesters via a telephone call.

While visiting the area, Odumosu answered questions fielded by Journalist, CP Odumosu apologized to the protesters, and also revealed that the policemen released the teargas and shot in the air “just to disperse the protesters away from blocking the exit and entrances into Lagos state, so as to allow visitors entering and leaving the state, have free access to the roads.”

He therefore ordered the policemen to “protect all protesters from being harassed by miscreants in the area who may be seeking to hijack the protest and cause bodily injuries to protesters, as it is every citizen’s right to protest.”

See video

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