TheCable

Idowu Owohunwa, Lagos commissioner of police, has explained the reasons behind the heavy deployment of officers to the Lekki tollgate for the third anniversary of the #EndSARS protest.

On Friday, a memorial walk was organised to commemorate the Lekki tollgate shooting during the nationwide #EndSARS protests of 2020.

On October 20, 2020, security operatives fired live rounds into a crowd of unarmed young persons who had converged on the tollgate to protest decades of police brutality.

Every year, protesters gather at the Lekki tollgate to commemorate those who lost their lives during the #EndSARS protests.

At the tollgate on Friday, a large number of police officers was present.

However, only few protesters gathered at the tollgate to observe the commemoration.

Speaking with journalists at the tollgate, Owohunwa said the police officers were deployed to the area to secure Lagos and prevent any form of anarchy.

“So far, as you can see, the deployment is on point and in line with the brief,” he said.

“Police officers, from the feedback, have been very civil, professional and respectful of the rights and space of both protesters and the wider citizens.

“So I think as the commissioner of police, I am very very impressed and commend their sacrifice and efforts while encouraging them to sustain it in the interest of the public.

“In the course of exercising their rights (referring to #EndSARS protesters), we will ensure that the group is not exposed to any form of danger.

“That is what we are doing here and that is what we have done.

“We also made it clear that for the overall public interest, we will also not allow a situation where the group conduct themselves in a manner that will breach the security and peace in Lekki and other parts of Lagos.”