Thursday, March 28, 2024

LekkiTollGate Reopening: Lagos Youths Plan Protests

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Months after the incident which is believed to be the “Lekki tollgate massacre”, Nigerian Youths have aired their plans to hold a counter-protest at the Lekki tollgate on Saturday, February 13th, 2021.

This was deduced, hours after some youths took to their twitter pages to call for a protest against the reopening of the Lekki tollgate.

Prior to this, the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry probing the alleged killing of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers at the Lekki tollgate had, on Saturday, allowed for the reopening of the Lekki tollgate plaza.

However, four out of the nine members of the panel faulted the report of the forensic experts hired to comb the scene for evidence.

hashtags like #RevolutionNow and #OccupyLekkiTollGate have begun trend on Twitter. As of Monday morning, some youths have already begun to make display banners calling for another protest on their social media accounts.

Some of the posters have inscriptions such as “No justice, no reopening”, and “Occupy Lekki tollgate” among others.

The planned counter-rally, which is trending on Twitter as #DefendLagos and #DemNoBornYourPapaWell, is to protest against protesters of #OccupyLekkiTollGate.

The poster of counter-rally shared on social media showed that it is holding at the same venue and time as the one planned by the #OccupyLekkiTollGate protesters.

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“Let us protect what the destroyers left behind while we rebuild Lagos. Join the ‘defend Lagos’ rally at the Lekki toll plaza,” a message on the poster read with pictures of destructed buildings and other facilities during the violence that followed the #EndSARS protest in the state.

One of the promoters of the #DefendLagos protest, Olusoga Owoeye @olusogaowoeye said, “Show your love for our Lagos. Get your friends and your neighbors to be there. Join the DefendLagos Rally at the Lekki toll plaza on the 13th of February. We will not cede our city to criminals and insurrectionists. Lagos is our pride.”

Another promoter, @salamhunters, said, “We will defend and protect our Lagos from looters and arsonists.”

“We say no to all retard and opportunists planning evil towards Lagos,” @Adetade6 added.

Some tweets have expressed fear that the protests may result in a bloody clash at the Lekki tollgate, urging the state government and security agencies to step in.

One of them, @AjayiWizeman, said “I am sure the #DefendLagos people will not come on Saturday and be civil. They will be dressed in the police, soldiers, and DSS uniforms alongside thugs. Dem no fit face thousands who will #OccuppyLekkiTollGate Na we set the date and time!”

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Consequent to this, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his aide beg- #Don’tLetThemBringLagosDown

The Chief Press Secretary to the Lagos State Governor, Gboyega Akosile, has reacted to the planned protest slated for Saturday, February 13, 2020, against the reopening of the Lekki tollgate in the state.

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Not pleased by the panel’s decision, some Nigerians on Twitter threatened to occupy the tollgate on Saturday to express their displeasure.

Reacting to the planned protest, Akosile, in response to a tweet with the hashtag #DontLetThemBringLagosDown, said “nobody will bring our dear Lagos State down! Their rights end where other people’s rights begin.”
Lagos State had witnessed the destruction of public and private properties during the #EndSARS protest, before and after the alleged Lekki tollgate shooting by soldiers.

SOURCE: The Punch NG

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