Molestation of Lekki tollgate protesters reminiscent of military era, says group

The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), a non-governmental organisation, says the molestation of #OccupyLekkiTollGate protesters arrested by security operatives takes Nigeria back to the military era. 

On Saturday, protesters assembled at the Lekki tollgate to demonstrate against the approval given to the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) to resume operations at the plaza.

Operations at the tollgate had been put on hold since the shooting incident involving #EndSARS protesters on October 20, 2020. 

TheCable had reported how police officers had gone on a show of force on Friday, a day before the planned protest.

However, on Saturday, demonstrators who stormed the tollgate were arrested and taken away in a van popularly called “Black Maria”.

Reacting, in a statement signed by Philip Jakpor, its director of programmes, CAPPA said it is shameful that the police have remained “docile” with bandits, but could come out with force against unarmed protesters. 

“We are surprised that our security agencies that have remained largely docile in the face of rampaging bandits across the country, came out in full force against those they have sworn to protect. It is shameful and totally reprehensible,” the statement reads. 

“This sad and shameful incident reopens the wounds of the 20 October 2020 Lekki shootings, which was allegedly perpetrated by soldiers and policemen.

“Some passers-by are also said to have been arrested by the men of the Nigerian police who turned up in full force at the tollgate. 

“Video footage circulating on social media shows some of the arrested protesters crammed in a Black Maria and being derided by the police in scenes reminiscent of the military era when Nigerians’ right to converge and free speech was trampled underfoot.

“We are shell-shocked that in the 21st century, the Nigerian police is still dehumanising Nigerian citizens by forcefully stopping their legitimate right to converge and protest and clamping them like rabid animals into the dingy Black Maria.”

On his part, Akinbode Oluwafemi, CAPPA’s executive director, said the arrest of the protesters have exposed the demonstrators to COVID-19, considering how they were transported.

“Through their repressive tactics, the police have not only violated the rights of these citizens to protest, but also exposed them to the coronavirus by clamping them into the poorly-ventilated Black Maria. This is totally unacceptable and unimaginable,” he said. 

The protesters were later arraigned on charges bordering on flouting the COVID-19 protocol on public gatherings.

They were granted bail in the sum of N100,000 each, with sureties in like sum.