JUNE 12: Police, CSOs agree on peaceful protest, single venue in Lagos

File: Protesters

The Lagos State Police Command has reached an agreement with 15 Civil Society Organisations on the conduct of planned protests taking place on Thursday, June 12.

It was gathered that they all agreed that Gani Fawehinmi Park in Ojota will serve as the only approved protest venue for citizens participating in the protest in Lagos.

This was disclosed in a statement by the command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, in a statement on Wednesday.

He described the meeting between the Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Jimoh, and the CSO leaders as an interactive engagement.

According to the statement, half of the CSOs said they would celebrate Democracy Day peacefully, while the other half planned to hold orderly protests without disrupting public peace and safety.

It was agreed that all protest groups will converge under the Ikeja Bridge and move together to Ojota.

“All protesting groups agreed to converge on Ikeja Under-Bridge simultaneously and jointly proceed to Gani Fawehinmi Park at Ojota to protest

“It was also agreed that no protest will take place anywhere else except at the only designated place at Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota,” Hundeyin said. The statement also highlighted concerns about security and order during the day’s activities as all CSOs were urged to ensure that the protest remained peaceful and is not hijacked by hoodlums and miscreants to cause chaos in the state.

Hundeyin said the meeting emphasised the importance of not obstructing traffic or disrupting public peace, to allow others to celebrate Democracy Day freely.

The CSOs committed to informing other groups not present of the resolutions to ensure full compliance statewide.

“The CSOs assured the Commissioner of Police that they will communicate the outcome of the meeting and the resolutions reached to other CSOs not in attendance to ensure widespread compliance,” the statement further read.

The commissioner also reaffirmed the command’s readiness to provide security throughout the state and urged citizens to remain peaceful and law-abiding.