An #EndSARS campaigner, Rinu Oduala, has warned the operatives of the Lagos State Police Command that nothing untoward must happen to #OccupyLekkiTollgate protesters including popular comedian Debo Adebayo, also known as Mr Macaroni.
Mr Macaroni and about 30 other #OccupyLekkiTollgate campaigners were arrested on Saturday for protesting at the Lekki toll gate where they demanded that justice be served to the victims of the October 20 2020 #EndSARS protest at the toll plaza.
Oduala, who condemned the arrest of the protesters, also called on the Speaker of the House of Representative, Femi Gbajabiamila; and other politicians in the state to condemn the arrest and detention of the protesters.
She tweeted, “Nothing must happen to Mr Macaroni. The Police will arrest until they get tired!
“Under Buhari’s democracy, we beg for our rights to be recognised. We get treated as slaves and criminals just for demanding for our rights. #EndSARS.”
Recall that the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry probing alleged killing of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers at the Lekki toll gate, decided to hand over the tollgate back to its operators, Lekki Concession Company, after forensic experts submitted their report on the October 20, 2020 incident.
Four members of the panel including Oduala, a youth representative who later stepped down from the panel for what she described as injured, faulted the decision of the panel but the chairman of the panel, retired Justice Doris Okuwobi, and four other members of the panel acceded to LCC’s request to repossess the toll gate.
Subsequently, hashtags such as #OccupyLekkiTollgate and counter-protest hashtags such as #DefendLagos and #DemNoBornYourPapaWell trended online.
While the #DefendLagos campaigners shelved their planned counter-protest, the # OccupyLekkiTollgate campaigners said there was no going back and insisted that the protest must hold.