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#OccupyLekkiTollgate: After Molesting Protesters, Police Vow To Investigate Video Of Harassed, Tortured Demonstrators

February 14, 2021

The police said in a release that it would bring to justice those responsible for the harassment of the protesters.

The Lagos State Police Command on Sunday made a face-saving promise to investigate a viral video of some protesters at the #OccupyLekkiTollgate protest who were put in a vehicle, stripped and harassed.

The police said in a release that it would bring to justice those responsible for the harassment of the protesters.

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The Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Muyiwa Adejobi, stated this hours after the police operatives had locked up the harmless protesters for hours and also refused to allow them access to lawyers initially.

Adejobi, after the video of police harassment went viral, said the police would investigate the incident.

He said, “The attention of the Lagos State Police Command has been drawn to a viral video where some arrested ‘EndSARS protesters’ were being molested in a bus by some individuals after their arrest.

“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu, who was piqued by this unprofessional and inhuman act, has ordered the Deputy Commissioner of Police, State CID, Panti, DCP Adegoke Fayoade, to analyse the video and bring to book whoever must have been responsible for the act.

“CP Hakeem Odumosu reiterates that, in as much the command is resolute in enforcing all laws in the state, it will not deviate from the Standard Operating Procedure of the Nigeria Police Force and provisions of the law in discharging its duties; noting that the command will fish out those responsible for the molestation and ensure they are punished for their unprofessional conduct.”

The statement also came hours after the peaceful protesters had been arraigned before a mobile court in Yaba by the police.

They were arraigned on Saturday and granted bail.

The magistrate, Lateef Layeni, granted the protesters bail in the sum of N100,000 each, with sureties in like sum.

In a statement released on Saturday, Adejobi said the protesters gathered at the Lekki Toll Gate plaza, “creating tension and behaving in such a manner that could cause breach of public peace without due regard for COVID-19 protocols, the majority of which are use of nose masks and social distancing.

“The command has, however, arraigned the suspects today to the mobile court at Panti, Yaba, accordingly but were, however, granted bail by the court.”