The Lagos State Police Command has claimed that there was no #ENDSARS protest in the state on Monday despite video evidence of a purported renewed protest circulating on social media.
There were media reports on Monday that protesters had gathered at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos to commence a second wave of the protest to demand for a police reform and also an end to police brutality in the country.
Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer in a statement said that the video in question had been circulated by “mischief makers to create tension and destabilise the security network within the state”.
“The Lagos State Police Command has debunked an online viral video of #EndSARS protest, which purportedly took place on Monday, December 7, 2020, at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos State, describing the content of the video as fake, false and misleading,” the statement said.
According to him, the footage was one of the viral videos previously released during the recent violent #EndSARS protests before the Lekki Tollgate Plaza was set ablaze by hoodlums who had hijacked the peaceful protest on October 21, 2020,” the statement added.
Adejobi had also called for calm, encouraging all to go about their business as usual, while also adding that the police remained ready to deal with “any act of lawlessness that could lead to the breakdown of law and order in Lagos”.
Similarly, earlier today, a tweet from the presidency’s Twitter handle (@NGRPresident) issued a warning against protesters who had planned to begin a second wave of #ENDSARS protest across the country.
“President @MBuhari today in Abuja warned that any act of hooliganism hiding behind lawful and peaceful protests will be dealt with decisively to ensure peace and stability in the country,” the tweet read.
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This report is not up to your usual standard. You should have given us an on-the-spot account to either support or debunk the police claim. As it is, this is a non-report.