- Says APC, as child of protest, should not stop protesters
By Alex Enumah
A human rights lawyer, Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), on Tuesday reminded the Nigeria Police Force that one of its responsibility is to protect Nigerians who embark on any peaceful protest in the country rather than dishing out threat to would-be protesters.
Adegboruwa, who stressed that the Nigerian Constitution gives citizens the right to freedom of expression, also berated the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for attempting to surpress protesters having been a major benefactor of protests in the country.
The senior lawyer made his concern known in a statement to journalists, while reacting to the statement by the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, wherein he threatened to suppress the protests planned for the commemoration of EndSARS.
The peaceful #EndSARS and #EndPolice brutality embarked upon by Nigerian youths last year ended on a sad note after dozens of youths were alleged to have been shot by the Nigerian Army personnel.
The protests, which spread across the country, however had its base at the Lekki toll gate, crippling economic activities for over three weeks that the protest lasted.
However, as the one year anniversary of the protests and alleged killing of the youth comes up this week, the police have threatened to arrest anyone on protest in Lagos.
“My attention has been drawn to a statement made by the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, wherein he threatened to suppress the protests planned for the commemoration of EndSARS.
“The commissioner stated that the police will do everything within its powers to stop the protests.
“This is not proper in a democracy, which is nurtured by the observance of the rule of law and due respect for human rights. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, grants to every citizen the freedom of expression without interference.
“The responsibility of the police under the Police Act, 2020, is to offer protection to citizens who embark upon peaceful, civil and lawful protests and not to threaten them,” part of the statement read.
Adegboruwa maintained that the deliberate act of the police to suppress lawful protests has no place in the country’s constitution and it should not be condoned at all.
He expressed concern that the police and the government generally seem not to have learnt any lesson from the EndSARS protests of 2020, for the purpose of engaging citizens in lawful ways.
“Considering that the ruling All Progressives Congress is itself a child of protests, it is unimaginable that the same government is seeking to gag citizens from enjoying the same rights that its leaders deployed to full advantage when they were in the opposition.
“I therefore urge the police to exercise restraint and work with the protesters to achieve a peaceful and orderly outing and to offer them protection.
“I urge the protesters to shun all acts of violence and disruptions of business or hinderance of movement of persons, in the course of the protests,” he added.
