— Urges Judiciary Not To Sanction Monstrous Illegality By Police
— Directs Lawyers To Represent Protesters At Mobile Court Trial
— Says Peaceful Protest Is A Fundamental Rights of Citizens
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A leading coalition of labour and civil society groups, the Alliance for the Survival of COVID-19 and Beyond is demanding for the release of Protesters at OccupyLekkiTollgate.
The Alliance on Surviving Covid 19 and Beyond (ASCAB) in its statement signed by the Interim Chair, Femi Falana, SAN, said it has confirmed that not less than 20 young men and women were arrested this morning while planning to participate in the peaceful rally tagged #OccupyLekkiTollgate, scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. on Saturday, February 13, 2020 against the reopening of the Tollgate.
The protesters were arrested by a detachment of the Police before the commencement of the peaceful rally.
The statement reads “The fundamental right of the protesters to dignity guaranteed by section 34 of the Constitution was crudely breached by the police personnel who arrested the protesters and caged them inside a Black Maria.
“By arresting the protesters instead of providing them with adequate security the Police engaged in a provocative contravention of section 83 (4) of the Nigeria Police Act which states as follows:
“Where a person or organization notifies the police of his or its intention to hold a public meeting, rally or procession on a public highway or such meetings in a place where the public has access to , the police officer responsible for the area where the meeting rally or procession will take place shall mobilize personnel to provide security to provide security cover for the meeting, rally or the procession.”
“ASCAB calls on the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of the protesters because they did not commit any criminal offence by exercising their fundamental rights to freedom of expression and assembly guaranteed by sections 39 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.
“However, if the protesters are dragged before a criminal court by the Police after their illegal arrest and detention we call on the Judiciary in Lagos State not to allow the courts to be used to cover up the monstrous illegality perpetrated in Lagos this morning,” the statement reads.
Falana SAN, further confirmed to TheNigerialawyer(TNL), that the Hon Attorney General of Lagos State, Mr. Moyo Onigbanjo SAN informed him in the afternoon that the arrested protesters were going to be charged before a Mobile Court at Yaba today.
“I have sent 2 lawyers to the court to represent the Defendants. They are currently being detained at Panti Police Station as they await their trial,” falana added.
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