The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed said that the planned #OccupyLekkiTollGate protest is a plan by Nigerian activists who have linked up “with others outside Nigeria, including subversive elements, with a view to destabilizing the country.”
The Minister who spoke in a statement titled,“Perpetration of Violence Under the Guise of EndSars: Never Again,” said the Federal Government came about this assertion based on intelligence at its disposal. Mr. Mohammed said the FG “cannot and must not allow this to happen.”
” The ‘Occupy Lekki Toll Gate’ flyers have been circulating online, with the proponents threatening that ‘Lagos will burn’ again.
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“While peaceful protests are the constitutional rights of Nigerians, violent protests are not. At this time, the chances that any peaceful protest will be hijacked are very high.
“Based on the intelligence at the disposal of the Federal Government, some Nigerian activists have linked up with others outside Nigeria, including subversive elements, with a view to destabilizing the country. We cannot and must not allow this to happen,” he said.
Mohammed added that the FG will not allow the violence that was perpetrated across the country under the guise of the EndSARS protests last October, to be repeated.
“Never again will anyone or group be allowed to destroy cities or to kill and maim innocent citizens, including security agents, under any guise,” he said.
The Minister added that the FG is observing the social media and the role that has been played by the internet “in this renewed clamour for violence in the country.”
READ: Lagos State police says no protest happened at Lekki Tollgate, describes viral video as fake
What you should know
- There have been renewed calls for protests on Twitter using the #OccupyLekkiTollgate to express dissatisfaction in the planned reopening of the Lekki toll gate as approved by the Lagos EndSARS panel.
- There has been a group who are allegedly planning to hold a counter-protest at the same toll gate, and claiming that the campaigners of the #OccupyLekkiTollgate are trying to stir up trouble in Lagos.
- It would be recalled that in October 2020 during a peaceful #EndSARS protests at the Lekki toll gate, several protesters were shot at by the officers of the Nigerian Army, an incident which sparked wide condemnation within and outside Nigeria.
- Unfortunately, the protest was hijacked by hoodlums who took the opportunity to kill, destroy public and private properties in several parts of the country.
