Juliana Francis
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olanrenwaju Ishola today Ist of October 2024, during the #National Day of Survival, displayed his adroitness in being able to manage protesters.
It will be recalled that before the planned protest, the CP, along with other sister agencies met with stakeholders on Friday, 27th of September, where Nigerians were urged to jettison the protest, if possible, but if not to ensure it was violence-free and not hijacked by hoodlums.
The protesters and organisers gathered at the Ikeja Under Bridge as early as 7: 30am, but the CP and his men were already there. It was from there that the protesters and Police marched to the Freedom Park in Ojota.
CP Ishola was fully on the ground today to monitor the deployment of officers and operational resources.
Some of the demands on placards are that the government should reverse the cost of fuel, check hunger, electricity tariffs, and anti-people policies, among others.
The pleas of the CP on Friday appeared to have been heard as protesters conducted themselves properly. Ishola and his men further endeared themselves to the protesters by buying snacks and bottled water for them.
Ishola said: “You can see for yourself, that the whole place is peaceful. We’ve been here since 3:am. The protesters met us here. Some asked me what guarantee they had that they were safe, and they told them that they were truly safe as long as they operated within the ambit of the law.
“There will not be any issue, before this protest, I had already met with stakeholders and a good number of them are here. We all reached an agreement in my office that there would not be a breakdown of law and order.”
One of the protesters, Comrade Oluwatobi Alimi, when asked his reason for participating in the protest, said: “ Let’s start with the N70,000 minimum, which the Federal Government to date are yet to fulfil. It is when Nigerians do not speak out that ills continue, and the people are taken for granted. I can tell you that it is going to be a series of protests.”
Another protester, Samuel Ilori said: “There are many reasons for this protest. Aside from hunger in the country, let’s talk about fraud in the electricity sector. It has been a sham with a new alphabetical order of bands.
“Disco promised certain hours of electricity provision and increased tariff, not following the law to increase this tariff. Generally speaking, Nigeria is a giant in an ant body, we are not progressing at all.
“The only people who progress in Nigeria are those in the government and they make policies that benefit them. The masses in Nigeria are mourning today, not celebrating.”
