Sam Philip
Some thugs on Thursday attacked and disrupted a peaceful protest organised by some civil society organizations in Akure, Ondo State capital, tagged: #EndBadGovernance#.
Commencing from Cathedral area of Akure, the protest was peaceful until some hoodlums attacked the protesters.
One of the protesters, an activist and human rights lawyer, Tope Temokun Esq, said the thugs were allegedly suspected to be working for the state government.
Addressing journalists at the front of the state Police Command headquarters at Alagbaka, Akure, one of the leaders of the group, Omowole Sowore told journalists that they were protesting against the hardship, insecurity and a “shrinking civic space” under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He alleged that some thugs, believed to be sponsored by the government, were allegedly shielded and aided by policemen to disrupt the peaceful demonstration..
Sowore explained that the peaceful demonstration was aimed at raising public awareness on citizens’ rights to democratic participation and to speak out against bad governance.
He said: “In fact, they tried to attack me at the venue of the protest. But what is so sad is that a letter had been written by a lawyer to the Commissioner of Police, not to plead with police that we want to protest, but just to remind them of their duties as policemen to protect people in the country, and they failed and shirked in that responsibility that we located the protests here.
“We have just protested to the Commissioner of Police in the state. He did promise that something will be done. Do I believe? No, but at least we made our point known. But we’ve given him a matching order that if something is not done, we’ll come back here and take over the place. Yes, we will occupy this place.
“What is sad is that the last time I was in Ondo State to protest, I was protesting on behalf of this Aiyedatiwa that year, you know, to make him become governor. But he has become the opposite of what we are fighting against today, because everybody who saw those guys said they work directly with Aiyedatiwa at one time or another. They are his people.
“It’s very important to say this, the message will be sent to the governor of Ondo State. This is not the first time there is a national protest in Nigeria, and it’s not the first governor of Ondo State and the governor of Ondo State has consciously, deliberately, in a very clear way, tried to attack peaceful protesters.
“What is so sad is that a letter had been written by a lawyer to the Commissioner of Police, not to plead with police that we want to protest, but just to remind them of their duties as policemen to protect people in the country, and they failed and shirked in that responsibility that’s why we relocated the protests here(Gate of headquarters of state Police Command).
“We have just met with him, and he did promise that something will be done. Do I believe? No, but at least we made our point known. But we’ve given him a matching order that if something is not done, we’ll come back here and take over the place.
“Nobody has the right to prevent another Nigerian from expressing themselves, and that is why, you see, I’m always in the crosschairs of the police, whether the person oppressed is a policeman, or whosoever.
“We are not going to accept it. We are not and that’s why we have come here today. These hired thugs came to sabotage and hijack. They came to that place to attack the peaceful protest.”
Also addressing journalists, Tope Temokun Esq, said they would not tolerate the alleged attempt by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to silence citizens with dessenting position.
They vowed when next government cronies attack or attempted to attack protesters in the state it would be met with resistance.
“So the governor should know, he cannot run the state like this. Whoever is cooperating with him, he should appreciate them. But those who want to disagree, he should also appreciate them,” Temokun said.
Speaking with journalists, the state Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Afolabi dismissed the allegation of complicity on the part of the police as unfounded.
He said: “With the level of training we have received both locally and internationally, we will not allow any policeman under my watch to have anything to do with thugs. So, their allegation that maybe police connived with thugs to attack them is baseless.
“I have told them to provide evidence so that we can investigate this and get the culprits prosecuted.”