A coalition of civil society organisations, Defend Lagos Coalition, has said the genuine struggle to end Police brutality has been hijacked.
The group said this while announcing its acceptance of the invitation to walk with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu over the 2020 #EndSARS protest.
Some #EndSARS campaigners had rejected Sanwo-Olu’s invitation for a peace walk.
Debo Adebayo, popularly known as Mr. Macaroni; Folarin Falana (Falz), among others had rejected the governor’s overtures.
At a press conference in Lagos on Friday, Declan Ihekaire, said, “We began to warn at the level of our individual organisations immediately the #5for5# Demands of the #EndSARS movement were acceded to by the Federal government and a new demand for the disbandment of government at all levels was then made.
“This was the basis upon which we began to counsel the self-acclaimed #EndSARS protesters that the forces that is behind their genuine struggle to end Police brutality and ride upon it to destroy Lagos on 21st October 2020 are still actively in pursuit of their agenda. The forces that set Lagos on fire are still unrelenting to date.
“Our strategy was simply to mobilise genuine peace-loving people of Lagos in their thousands to come out to protect Lagos from the forces of destruction. But in a desperate attempt to make their tales by moonlight believable, they went ahead to accuse some of our leaders as those behind the alleged attack on #EndSARS protesters last year and alleged attack on a witness who testified before the Judicial panel of enquiry.
“Just as though to validate credible intelligence in our possession that the plot to bring Lagos on its knees is still very much active, one of the #ENDSARS protest leaders at 10:50pm on Tuesday 30, November 2021, a certain Sarajy Ibrahim tweeted as follows: ” Sanwoolu has denied the #Lekki Massacre in his White Paper Report.”
Ihekaire further urged the government to begin the full implementation of all the recommendations that are within its remit.
“We appeal to Governor Sanwo-Olu to rally the Presidency, the National Economic Council (NEC), APC legislators, the Police service Commission and the Inspector General of Police amongst others to push for necessary reforms in the Police,” he added.
Similarly, the Lagos State Students under the aegis of the National Union of Lagos State Students (NULASS) has vowed to mobilise three million members to walk with the state governor.
