The commemoration of #EndSARS second anniversary that started peaceful with African Alliance Congress (AAC) Presidential Candidate, Omoyele Sowore, hip-hop Starz Folarin Falanaz popularly called Falz, and a comedian, Adebowale Adedayo, also known as ‘Mr Macaroni’, has taken another turn after the Nigerian Police dispersed the protesters firing teargas canisters at the youths during their walk at Lekki tollgate in Lagos State.
Confirming attacks on the protesters, Spokesperson for Lagos Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, said that the personnel deployed to the scene acted on orders received from court.
Hundeyin said that the demonstrators were already acting against the court orders before policemen at the toll plaza shot teargas canisters to disperse them.
The spokesperson, in a statement released on his official social media handle, stressed that the court allowed demonstration but did not permit anyone to gather at the toll-plaza for any march including peaceful gathering.
He stressed that there was no injuries nor casualties recorded after teargas canisters were fired at the demonstrators by policemen.
Hundeyin said: “A stitch in time saves nine. They were already gathering at the toll gate as opposed to doing a peaceful procession. Minimal force was used. No injury or fatality”.
Before police attacked the protesters, they were said to have gathered at the second toll plaza to place coffins they made in remembrance of those whose lives were lost during the demonstration barely two years ago.
While standing at the location on Thursday to express their displeasure over controversies that had continued to trail shooting of demonstrators at the scene in 2020, while some claimed that no one died, others maintained that their were casualties and that the Nigerian Army took the bodies away from the scene.
The police, discovering that these youths have gathered at the toll plaza, shot teargas canisters at them to ensure that none of the demonstrators leave the scene.
