The Lagos State Police Command has revealed it fired teargas canisters at protesters at the Lekki toll gate staging an #EndSARS Memorial procession in honour of victims of the October 2020 protests across the country.
According to the Spokesperson for the Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, the police took the decision to disperse the crowd.
He said the crowd’s activities were already leading to a build up of traffic in the area, so the police had to restore normalcy.
Hundeyin said, said, “Everything was going fine until they stopped and started laying the coffins on the ground and all. They were doing all these and traffic at the toll gate was building up.
“We needed to ensure that there was free flow of traffic in the area, because the agreement was that the procession would not stop, that was why we fired tear gas. After the crowd was dispersed, no single canister of tear gas was fired again.
“Right now there is free flow of traffic in the area and calm has been restored.”
When the PPRO was asked about the protesters that were locked up in the black maria truck he said they had all been released.
He said, “Some troublemakers wanted to breach the peace in the area so they were picked up and locked up in the van. But after everything had calmed down and the protesters dispersed they were all released. I can confirm that we have no one in our custody at the toll-gate now.”
Tweeting, he said, “Peaceful persons were allowed to move around without interference from the police. Some of them that decided to be lawless and start mounting the toll complex, an action threatening the existing law and order in the area, were dispersed with teargas.
“There was no use of baton, neither was there physical contact. We equally do not have any record of shooting. We would, however, appreciate evidence of gunshots, maybe a video, to enable us take appropriate action.
“No protester is in our custody! All apprehended troublemakers were kept only for minutes. They were all released after normalcy was returned to the area. This was done in fulfilment of our mandate of maintaining law and order.”
Meanwhile, former vice president Atiku Abubakar has frowned at the treatment received from the police by the protesters.
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