The Alliance has confirmed that not less than 20 young men and women were arrested this morning while planning to participate in the peaceful rally tagged #OccupyLekkiTollgate.
The Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Beyond chaired by human rights' activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has condemned the arrest of about 20 young protesters at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos State by police officers, saying it was a violation of their fundamental human rights.
ASCAB stated on Saturday that the right of the protesters to "dignity guaranteed by Section 34 of the Constitution was crudely breached by the police personnel who arrested the protesters and caged them inside a Black Maria."
The group called on the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of the protesters because they did not commit any criminal offence by exercising their fundamental rights to freedom of expression and assembly.
ASCAB said, "The Alliance has confirmed that not less than 20 young men and women were arrested this morning while planning to participate in the peaceful rally tagged #OccupyLekkiTollgate, scheduled to begin at 7 am on Saturday, February 13, 2020, against the reopening of the Tollgate.[story_link align="left"]90199[/story_link]
"The protesters were arrested by a detachment of the police before the commencement of the peaceful rally. The protesters' fundamental right to dignity guaranteed by section 34 of the Constitution was crudely breached by the police personnel who arrested the protesters and caged them inside a Black Maria. By arresting the protesters instead of providing them with adequate security, the police engaged in a provocative contravention of section 83 (4) of the Nigeria Police Act which states as follows:
"ASCAB calls on the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of the protesters because they did not commit any criminal offence by exercising their fundamental rights to freedom of expression and assembly guaranteed by sections 39 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.[story_link align="left"]90216[/story_link]
"However, if the protesters are dragged before a criminal court by the Police after their illegal arrest and detention, we call on the judiciary in Lagos State not to allow the courts to be used to cover up the monstrous illegality perpetrated in Lagos this morning."