Why We Fired Tear Gas At Protesters At Lekki Tollgate – Police

The state Police Commissioner, Hakeem Odumosu, said the police fired tear gas at the protesters to avoid a breakdown of law and order.

Police fire teargas at protesters

Police in Lagos has said it fired teargass at #EndSARSMemorial protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate on Wednesday in order to avoid a breakdown of law and order.

Recall that Police fired tear gas at the protesters who were holding a memorial car procession to mark the #EndSARS one-year anniversary.

But in an interview with reporters on Wednesday, the state Police Commissioner, Hakeem Odumosu, said the police fired tear gas at the protesters to avoid breakdown of law and order.

Odumosu said the protesters went against the promise they earlier made that the procession will start by 8 am and end by 10 am.

The police commissioner stated that any demonstration that goes beyond the agreed time is constituting a nuisance and will not be tolerated.

He added that the youths remaining are the miscreants, hoodlums that want to capitalise on that to attack innocent people and start robbing people.

He said: “Between 8am and 10am, anything, after 10 am, is a nuisance.

“I discussed with them and they said they will end the protest by 10 o’clock. Other people doing it now, that’s a nuisance that has guns, the ones with machete, hammer, are they protesters or miscreants?

“The protesters are free; they have done their thing and left. Any other persons remaining are the miscreants, hoodlums that want to capitalise on that to attack innocent people and start robbing people. We will not allow that.”