Nationwide Protest: We Do Not Want Violence In Lagos – State Govt Warns Residents

The Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, has warned residents to avoid violent protests similar to the 2020 #EndSARS protests.

She urged residents to avoid the destruction of public properties.

Salu-Hundeyin gave the warning while addressing newsmen after a routine security meeting with the secretaries to the local governments at the state secretariat in Alausa, Lagos.

Naija News reports that during the 2020 #EndSARS protests, several public properties, including a Bus Rapid Transit terminal, were set ablaze by hoodlums, and lives were reportedly lost.

Due to the rising cost of living and staple foods, some Nigerians are planning another protest expected to kick-start on August 1, 2024, and run till August 10.

Speaking on the planned protest, the SSG affirmed that every Nigerian has the right to express themselves through protest, but warned residents to avoid violent demonstrations that would disrupt the peace of the state.

She said, “This is the state that does not owe any pensioner a Kobo. If you retired today, you should be expecting your pension immediately. The Lagos State Government is doing so much.

“Is it the Ilera Eko, the New Insurance Medical Schemes, the university we are building, the blue line rail, and others?

“It is a legitimate right for citizens to protest; there’s nothing wrong with it. The only thing people should worry about is that we do not want violence because the nascent peace we enjoy in Nigeria now and the development we are seeing, particularly in Lagos State, should not be truncated.

“We do not want anything to tamper with all that the state is currently enjoying. During the last protest (EndSARS), we saw the destruction that happened. They have a right, but their rights should not be for destruction.”

The chairman of Scribe 57 and Ikeja SLG, Akeem Dauda, raised the same alarm and described the planned protest as “unnecessary,” noting that local people would be engaged to discourage participation.

“We have resolved that the protest is uncalled for and unnecessary based on what Lagos State, led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has done in the last year. We feel strongly about educating them about why the protest in Lagos is unnecessary,” he said.