Normalcy was ensured in Lagos State on Saturday, June 12, 2021, as the Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, addressed protesters at Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota, during the marking of Democracy Day.
The peaceful protest was carried out by agitators for good governance, with their expressed grievances against insecurity, poverty, unemployment and hike in prices of items, among others.
The police command had on Friday, June11, allayed the fears of the general public on the rumoured sit-at-home order, possible break down of law and order and total shutdown of the state by some individuals, reported to have planned to disguise as celebrating, to cause panic and disrupt security in the state.
Speaking on the command’s efforts and proactiveness, its police image-maker, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed that it averted the hijack of the rally at Ojota when some hoodlums blocked the Maryland/Ikorodu Road with the intent to attack motorists that got stuck in the artificial traffic congestion caused by the arranged blockade.
The PPRO said that Odumosu, in his bid to forestall any act of lawlessness, had deployed adequate personnel to strategic places and arranged a Show of Force across the state.
He spoke further that the police commissioner personally moved round the state to assess the general security of the state, with visits to Lagos Island, Lekki Toll Gate, Surulere, Alausa and Ojota.
At Ojota, he had addressed the protesters on the need to be peaceful and avoid depriving other Nigerians of their rights to free movement and doing their businesses; noting that blocking the roads would only cause more harm to other innocent Nigerians and threaten the security of the state.
The police boss engaged the protesters in a discussion for more than an hour, while he assured them of the police’s support and responsibility to provide security for them and other Nigerians.
He also stated that the police would never deprive them of their rights to freedom of speech, protest and peaceful rally, but urged them to always notify the police of any intending protest or rally, in order to plan with them so that such protest would not be hijacked by miscreants.
Odumosu reiterated the command’s commitment to providing adequate security for all and sundry in Lagos State, sustain the core values of policing and tenets of democracy, especially respect for fundamental human rights of citizens.
