Kingdom Okere, convener of Lawyers in Defence of Democracy and Human Rights has made claims that President Bola Tinubu “unleashed terror” on peaceful protesters during the nationwide protests on August 1st at the MKO Abiola stadium in Abuja.
Okere made these allegations on Friday during an interview with ARISE NEWS when asked about what transpired during the first day of the protests.
Narrating the ordeal, he said, “By the time I arrived at the MKO Abiola stadium where we have been notified that there is a court order confining the protest in Abuja at MKO Abiola stadium, I met my brother comrade Deji Adeyanju, he was already discussing with the CP of police, and the media men were also there and I joined them and we tried to proffer solutions, we tried to dissect the so-called court order which we are appealing this morning. We have already filed a notice of appeal. It’s an order from a court of competent jurisdiction, a high court of the FCT and it ought to be obeyed until set aside and that is what we have taken steps to do to seek to set it aside.
“But while we did that, we saw the need to respect court order and we tried to confine our activity at the MKO Abiola stadium. That we did for almost two hours until the government themselves, it is this government of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the man who himself protested severally and the man who sponsored several civil protests in Nigeria since the inception of democracy and during the military era. Tinubu himself not only protested, but sponsored several protests in this country. He is the person now that unleashed mayhem, that unleashed terror on the peaceful protesters. While we were there at the MKO Abiola stadium, we saw more than 10 coaster buses that conveyed their thugs to MKO Abiola stadium to come and attack the protesters. Unfortunately for them, some of the thugs they hired, after they had collected 2000 naira (each), they joined the protest because they too are hungry, they too are buying from the same market, they too are suffering from the insecurity, poverty and misery that this government of APC has unleashed on us. That was exactly what happened until those thugs that were imported by the cabals in Tinubu administration came. The protest was confined at MKO Abiola stadium, it remained peaceful.”
Okere also noted that while the police initially sought to dialogue with and protect the protesters, things later turned violent with police releasing teargas on harmless protesters
“The FCT commissioner, he was too professional, he tried to calm the situation and tried to ensure that we protest within the ambits of the law while he was emphasising on the need to obey the court order. The police and road safety and other sister security agencies escorted the protesters until they walked down from the finance bridge, heading to independent avenue, to divert to Eagle Square to continue our peaceful protest. That was when the police released teargas on innocent peaceful and harmless protesters. Not just teargas, they turned the whole environment to a war zone. In fact, you could hardly breathe, people ran helter skelter. Those of us that were asthmatic, we tried to keep safe and two or three people fainted but were later revived.”
The Lawyer once again called for people to come out to engage in peaceful protests and not riot or property destruction.
He said, “Any form of violence that leads to destruction of public properties and private properties of fellow citizens must be condemned. I don’t see your right to freedom of expression to lead to destruction of public and private properties. You can express your grievances within the ambits of the law, lawfully and the government hears you. And if it is a government that thinks well, constructive criticisms helps government to retrace their steps.
“We encourage people to come out and protest peacefully and express their misgivings about things that are going on in this country. And we also expect the president of this country to be a listening president and to take some proactive steps to show that he is ready to address these issues.”
Melissa Enoch
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