President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday acknowledged the rights of citizens to embark on peaceful protests.
The President on Monday in Abuja added that hooligans behind peaceful protests, would, however, be dealt with.
As the second wave of #EndSARS protest is believed to resume today in some parts of the country, the Lagos State Police Command on Sunday warned that it would resist any planned demonstration, procession or gathering in the state.
The demonstrations against police brutality, bad governance and poor economic policies, were expected to resume in Lagos on Monday, December 7, 2020, at designated locations across the metropolis.
In a statement on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, warned that the command would not allow any demonstration under any guise because Lagos residents were still nursing the injuries of the violence that trailed the #ENDSARS protest.
“The Lagos State Police Command has again warned against any gathering, procession or protest in Lagos State as some unpatriotic individuals and groups are planning to embark on the replica of the recent destructive and violent EndSARS protest that left pains and agonies in Lagos State,” the police had said.
But while declaring open the Chief of Army Staff’s Annual Conference 2020 in Abuja on Monday, President Buhari noted that Nigerians were free to embark on peaceful protests.
A statement by the President’s spokesman, Femi Adesina, partly reads, “The President described the Year 2020 as a very challenging one, citing the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and its negative impact on almost every aspect of national life.
“Reiterating the government’s commitment to the rights of citizens to embark on peaceful protests responsibly and in accordance with the laws of the land, the President recounted that hooligans sadly hijacked the #ENDSARS protests to cause wanton damage to lives and property in many cities across the country.”
“I charge you all to sustain these efforts until the full restoration of peace and security in the nation is achieved,” the President was quoted to have told the armed forces.
