A group planning a protest themed #DefendLagos to counter those carrying out #OccupyLekkiTollGate protest in Lagos have suspended theirs.
Convener of the rally Alabi Oladimeji made this known in a virtual press conference on Saturday morning.
Mr Oladimeji said the decision followed the federal and state governments’ call for such protest to be halted.
He said: “No protest from #DefendLagos on Saturday. We are simultaneously respecting the state and federal governments. I am proud to announce that for the meantime, we will be pending this protest due to the law of the federal and state governments. We are law-abiding and good citizens, definitely, we should not be the ones seen disobeying any law
“In respect of the President, Muhammadu Buhari, and Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. I am now announcing that anyone involved in #DefendLagos initiated by me should with immediate effect pend the protest. We are not going to hold any protest again on Saturday.
“If Lagos and FG fail us, we will come out huge and protest on Monday. It is depressing news for me because we have invested personal resources to produce banners, posters among others on this. But this is not an avenue for us to make money like those in the Occupy Lagos.
“If they come out to protest and the government allows that, it means that we can also protest. We trust the government. The state and FG have banned any protests in Lagos. If they come out and the government did not arrest them, it means that the government has failed us.”
Meanwhile, some of the #OccupyLekkiTollGate protesters have been arrested by the police.
One of the coordinators of the protest Kunle Ajayi told PUNCH that protesters were detained in a black maria stationed outside the toll gate.
“Police have just arrested 10 protesters – Four ladies and six guys. They were beaten mercilessly and injured,” he said.
The #OccupyLekkiTollGate protesters are unhappy with the ruling of the judicial panel for the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) to reopen the tollgate months after soldiers opened fire on unarmed protesters.
