Civil society organisations (CSOs) have accused Rapid Response Squad (RRS) police operatives of attacking homebound #EndBadGovernance protesters in Lagos.
The group said the unprovoked attacks occurred on Thursday evening around Oregun and resulted in the violent assault and hospitalisation of one, Damilola Akinola and the arrest of three protesters. Two other protesters were arrested around Yaba on their way home.
It condemned the act and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the protesters.
The statement signed by 10 CSOs reads:
UNPROVOKED POLICE ATTACK ON HOME-BOUND PROTESTERS MARS #ENDBADGOVERNANCE PROTEST IN LAGOS
Around 4:30pm today Thursday 1st August 2024, a group of #EndBadGovernance protesters walking home after a day of peaceful protest in Lagos State were assaulted by a team of RRS police operatives. The unprovoked attack occurred around Oregun and saw to the arrest of 3 protesters and the violent assault on one other, Damilola Akinola, who is now hospitalized with a grievous head injury. Also, two other protesters were arrested around Yaba on their way home.
We are completely shocked about the sudden display of aggression by the police after the protest had been held successfully and protesters were going home and despite repeated assurances by the Commissioner of Police and his men that the police would maintain professional conduct.
At around 8pm tonight, we have confirmed the release of the arrested protesters namely, Maduka Joshua, Michael Job and Opeyemi Owolabi after a spirited rescue effort launched by our team of lawyers led by Barrister Festus Ogun. However, this does not resolve the issue. As far as we are concerned, this display of unprovoked aggression by the police has implications for trust and confidence in the capacity of the police authorities to guarantee the safety of protesters.
We hereby demand the immediate and unconditional release of the remaining two protesters and discipline for the officers involved in the unprovoked assault. We also demand a public apology from the Lagos State Commissioner of Police for this brazen display of unprofessional conduct by his men and a commitment that such will not occur again considering that the protest continues tomorrow.
The #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest is an unstoppable movement of Nigerians who are fed up with the condition of hunger and hardship in the country. The protest in Lagos started from Ikeja Under-Bridge and proceeded to Gani Fawehinmi Park at Ojota. The protests were also held in Alausa. Throughout the course of the actions, protesters were on their best behaviour as there is no record of any threat to public peace and destruction of properties from protesters despite obvious signs of effort by state-sponsored miscreants to attack protesters.
We commend all Nigerian youth and the masses who trooped out in their thousands despite the atmosphere of fear and threat. The protest continues again tomorrow and the convergence point is Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota by 7am prompt. We urge even more people to turn up tomorrow so that our voices can be louder and our demands, which include the reversal of fuel price to pre-May 29 2023 level, end to hunger in the country, etc be heard.
Signatories:
(1) Joint Action Front (JAF),
(2) PRP Vanguard,
(3) Yoruba Revolutionary Movement (YOREM),
(4) Amilcar Cabral Ideological School Movement (ACIS-M),
(5) Youth Rights Campaign (YRC),
(6) Movement for African Emancipation (MAE),
(7) Education Rights Campaign (ERC).
(8) Precision, Electrical, and Related Equipment Senior Staff Association (PERESSA).
(9) Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights (CDWR).
10. TIB, Lagos.
