The Federal Government (FG) has issued a warning to those who are planning to reoccupy the Lekki tollgate in Lagos state.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, made this known at a press conference on Thursday ahead of a planned protest at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos on Saturday.
Okay.ng recalls that campaigners have been mobilising people with the hashtag #OccupyLekkiTollGate after the state judicial panel of inquiry approved to give back control of the toll gate to Lekki Concession Company (LCC).
The toll gate has been under the panel’s control since protesters were shot at by state forces on October 20, 2020.
Reacting to this, Lai Mohammed said the FG will not allow another round of violence in the country under the guise of #EndSARS protest.
He said: “As you may be aware, some EndSARS proponents have given notice of their plan to return to Lagos – Lekki Toll Gate to be specific – on Saturday, February 13th, 2021.
“The ‘Occupy Lekki Toll Gate’ flyers have been circulating online, with the proponents threatening that ‘Lagos will burn’ again.
“Let me be clear: 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.
“However, any further resort to violence in the name of #EndSARS will not be tolerated this time.
“The security agents are ready for any eventuality. A situation in which six soldiers and 37 policemen were murdered in cold blood by hoodlums will not repeat itself.
“The attack, looting and razing of 269 private and public property will not happen again. The killing of 57 civilians will not be re-enacted.”
“No government anywhere will allow a repeat of the kind of destruction, killing and maiming wrought by the hijackers of #EndSARS protests last year.
“After all, only one policeman – (plus four others) – was killed in the invasion of the US Capitol in January, yet the FBI has continued to hunt down and prosecute the perpetrators. No life is more important than the other.”
