‘If You Must Protest, Do Not Block Roads,’ Police Warns EndSARS Activists 

The police will not tolerate another collapse of law and order in the country’s commercial capital.

By Omotayo Olutekunbi

The police in Lagos have requested protestors not to obstruct the free flow of traffic in the state, which is known for gridlock.

According to reports, young people protesting police brutality under the #EndSARS banner plan to march to the Lekki toll gate, one year after armed troops opened fire on a throng of peaceful demonstrators there.

Earlier, the Lagos State Police Command stated that, “to forestall breakdown of law and order, the police will use all legitimate means within their constitutional powers to suppress the planned protest.”

However, Hakeem Odumosu, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, now says, “If you want to protest, it is your right under the law but you don’t have to block the road because, in the process of obstructing the road, you are no longer protesting for a better life for people.

“However, what happens to pregnant women in an emergency, what happens to collapsed buildings, fire incidents when the roads are blocked?

“Don’t forget that this is Lagos, it is the economy of the country and it is equally a working day and you can imagine those lives that earn their living on a daily basis.

“There are some people that cannot feed their families when protesters block the road indefinitely.”

The demonstrations have also been cautioned against by the National Economic Council (NEC).

Armed troops attacked one of the protest locations in Lekki, Lagos, on October 20, 2020, and opened fire on a gathering of young, nonviolent demonstrators.

Following that, hoodlums and arsonists took advantage of the resulting collapse of law and order to pillage and burn down government facilities and vehicles.