Democracy Day: Lagos police deny arresting activist forward of deliberate protest
The Lagos State Police Command has stated it doesn’t have info concerning the alleged arrest of an activist, Juwon Sanyaolu, one of many organisers of a protest slated to happen in Lagos on June 12, Democracy Day.
Reports on social media on Tuesday night time steered that the activist was allegedly picked up by the police in a yet-to-be-known location in Lagos.
In a misery message despatched to our correspondent through WhatsApp on Tuesday night time, Sanyaolu wrote, “I have been arrested (by the) police.” His strains subsequently grew to become unreachable.
An X person @TimiBlaze additionally posted on X, “I just got informed that the leader of Take It Back Nigeria, Juwon Sanyaolu @AyowoleSanyaolu has just been arrested for planning #WeAreHungry protest. Nigeria is now in a full-blown dictatorship under the All Progressives Congress! Nothing would stop us! We are coming out tomorrow!”
When reached for a response, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, stated he was unaware of such a report.
Hundeyin in a phone dialog stated, “I don’t have that information. I’m not aware of it at all.”
A supply within the state police command, who pleaded anonymity as a result of he was unauthorised to talk on the matter, stated Juwon’s arrest is probably not by the police.
The supply defined, “It could be officials of the Department of State Services. It could also be police officers outside the state command. You know the police force is fragmented. So sometimes it can be hard to know which division carried out some activity.”
Sanyaolu serves because the National Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, one of many civil society organisations planning the protests throughout varied states.
Earlier, the Lagos State Police Command cautioned towards any disruption of regulation and order within the state, in accordance with an announcement by Hundeyin.
The Lagos Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, assured residents of police presence on Wednesday to make sure security and order throughout the deliberate protests.
The Department of State Services additionally disclosed that it had obtained intelligence about plans by sure people and teams to stage protests throughout the nation on Democracy Day.
The DSS emphasised that the protesters intentionally scheduled the demonstrations to coincide with democracy day celebrations.
In a Tuesday assertion, the Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications of the DSS, Peter Afunanya, emphasised that whereas the structure ensures the fitting to meeting, it shouldn’t be exploited to undermine nationwide safety.
Notices circulating on social media point out that the mass protest is slated to start on Wednesday in Lagos at 7 a.m.
