•Protesters in Lagos
The nationwide hardship protest has been suspended in Lagos by the organisers to evaluate the progress of the exercise and re-strategise.
One of the organisers of the EndBadGovernance protest in the state, Comrade Hassan Taiwo Soweto, however, said protesters would not succumb to threats from any security operatives, reports Daily Trust.
Soweto was reacting to a statement by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, who said protest had been outlawed in any part of the state.
Fayoade, had in an interview late yesterday, said the ongoing #EndBadGovernance nationwide protest had been called off in view of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu speech on Sunday.
“The organisers have decided to call off the protest. They said they are looking at the president meeting their demands. So in view of this, there will be no more gathering at the Gani Fawahimi Freedom Park at Ojota or anywhere in the state. Any of such gathering is now unlawful and illegal and if such gathering exists, we are going to apply the full weight of the law.
“Now that the protest has been called off, we are going to withdraw our men from Ojota, but we will leave skeletal unit on the ground so that they will not allow anyone to gather here from this moment,” he said.
But reacting to the CP’s statement, Soweto told our correspondent that protesters would not succumb to threats from any security operatives.
He said the group decided to take today as off day to allow it re-strategise.
According to him, the decision to take the day off was reached yesterday at the protest ground, noting that the break did not mean the protest had been called off.
“The constitution allows for peaceful protest. We decided to take the day off to enable us access progress and to also re-strategize. We won’t bow to any idle threat. We will make announcement as to what next before the close of work today,” he added.
