NB247
Thugs on Thursday disrupted a peaceful protest in Akure, Ondo State, staged to protest against the hardship and insecurity in the country.
The protesters early on Thursday gathered at the popular Cathedral junction,First Bank Area and at the ‘A’ Division, before thugs came calling.
The thugs carried out the disruption without any police intervention or restraint, raising suspicion that they were sponsored.
Organizers say the police may have a hand in the disruption, an allegation the Ondo State Police Command has denied.
The peaceful protest was aimed at raising public awareness on citizens’ rights to democratic participation and to speak out against bad governance.
Speaking on the protest, Omoyele Sowore, a former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), and rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, who led the protest said a letter was written to inform the police of the protest.
“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 shocked in that responsibility that’s why we relocated the protests here,” he said.
“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.”
He said nobody has the right to prevent another Nigerian from expressing themselves, noting that he would resist oppression of any citizen, whether a civilian or a policeman.
“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.”
Tope Temokun, a human rights activist, who also spoke with journalists during the protest said they have formally requested the intervention of the Ondo State Police Command to ensure the safety and protection of peaceful protesters scheduled to take place in Akure.
While reacting to the protest, the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, Wilfred Afolabi denied that any police from his command had anything to do with the thugs.
“With the level of training we have received both locally and internationally, we will not allow any police man under my watch to have anything to do with thugs,” Mr Afolabi said.
“So their allegation that maybe police connived with thugs to attack them is baseless.”