June 12 protests: Police acted illegally — Falana

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has accused the police of violating the freedom of expression right over the arrests of June 12 protesters on Saturday.

In a statement on Sunday, Falana demanded apology for all protesters arrested in Abuja, Lagos and Calabar during the peaceful protests.

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Falana cited Section 94 (4) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) which limits the police to provision of adequate security during rallies, processions and meetings.

He said in the statement, “More so that the police had deliberately contravened Section 83 (4) of the Police Establishment Act 2020 which provides that, ‘Where a person or organisation notifies the police of his or its intention to hold a public meeting, rally or procession on a public highway or such meetings in a place where the public has access to, the police officer responsible for the area where the meeting rally or procession will take place shall mobilise personnel to provide security cover for the meeting, rally or the procession.’

“Since the police admitted that protesters committed no offence whatsoever, why were some of them arrested? Why were the so called hoodlums and miscreants who wanted to cause mayhem and unleash violence on the protesters not arrested? Or were they treated like sacred cows because they had been hired to disrupt the peaceful rallies of the protesters? Why were the scanty pro-government protesters who were reported to have fought openly in Abuja over their booty not arrested for breach of the peace in the Federal Capital Territory?”