Condemnations Trail Arrest Of Lekki Tollgate Prostesters

Nigerians have taken to the twitter and other social media platforms to express their condemnation of the crackdowm, arrest and beating of peaceful protestesters this morning at the Lekki Tollgate, the scene of alleged fatal shooting of similar protesters October 20, 2020.

Over least 20 #OccupyLekkiTollGate protesters stormed the site on Saturday  to protest the reopening of the Lekki Toll Gate and were said to have  arrested by security operatives deployed by the Lagos State Government to prevent the gathering.

Among those that said to have been arrested this morning was a popular Nigerian comedian, Debo Adebayo popularly called Mr Macaroni.

However, popular radio personality, Toke Makinwa and other Nigerians on Twitter hace  reacted to the arrest of protesters at the Lekki toll gate, with many of them condemnibg the arrest.

The protest  followed the directive by the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry investigating the alleged shooting of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers at the Lekki toll gate in October 2020 which permitted the reopening of the toll gate.

The move also led popular #EndSARS campaigner, Rinu Oduola, who is a youth representative on the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry, to pull out on Thursday, saying she would not be part of a cover-up.

Makinwa took to Twitter to question the government’s treatment of its citizens by asking, “what is our offence?”

“A government constantly looking for how to make its citizens bleed, bad governance, police brutality, poverty, extortion, lack of Jobs, failed educational system, and the list is endless, what is our offence? #EndSARS #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria #Lekkitollgate,” she tweeted.

Also, popular social media influencer, Japhet Omojuwa, questioned the justification of the arrest of the protesters, including Mr Macaroni.

He tweeted, “The Rights to Peaceful Assembly and Association and the Right to Freedom of Movement are fundamental human rights in the 1999 constitution and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights. What are the #OccupyLekkiTollGate protesters & Mr. Macaroni being arrested for?”

BBNaija reality TV star, Anita Natacha Akide, popularly known as Tacha or Symply Tacha lamented the sad reality of how security operatives don’t harass Boko Haram terrorists as they do the peaceful protester.

“There’s always so much energy on PEACEFUL PROTESTERS! #EndSARS But y’all is been fighting Boko Haram since 2002! SHAME ON ALL OF YOU,” she tweeted.

Nollywood actress, Kemi Lala Akindoju also echoed Tacha’s opinion with a quote tweet which read – “A government and leadership that forgives terrorists and arrests peaceful, innocent protesters. SHAME!”

The Federal Government, the Lagos state government and the police had warned youths  against gathering at the Lekki Tollgate or anywhere else in Lagos to protest.

They separately advised them to shelve the idea, threatening to deal with any person or group who dare defy the instruction against the planned protest.

Young Nigerians, under the aegis of #EndSARS Season 2 and #OccupyLekkiTollgate, had vowed to defy the government’s order.

However, the counter  group, #DefendLagos withdrew from the protest, noting that it was in accordance with the government’s directives that no protest should hold.

The #EndSARS Season 2 and #OccupyLekkiTollgate said their action was informed by the decision of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry allowing the Lekki Concession Company to reopen the Lekki