By Gideon Njoku
Following the imminent showdown on Saturday, February 13, 2021, the Lekki Area of Lagos will be on lockdown, expectedly from 12 midnight, Friday February 12.
This follows the threat by youths under the auspices of #EndSARS Campaigners to occupy the Lekki Toll Gate.
In 2020, the youths, protesting the atrocities of a branch of the Police, Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS, held the country by the jugular for about two weeks.
They asked for the scrapping of SARS, end to Police brutalities, and the prosecution of the Police personnel involved. They listed three other things they wanted addressed.
The Federal Government quickly addressed those, including the disbandment of SARS. But it did not stop the protest, which quickly spread to all parts of the country.
Trillions of Naira were lost. Hundreds of businesses and private residences were looted and razed. And so were Government offices and properties. Police Divisions were burnt down and looted. Arms and ammunition. And scores of Policemen and soldiers were killed. So were civilians. Offices of the FRSC suffered the same fate. Even Customs and Immigration. And warehouses, where paliatives were inexplicably kept, were looted. Not even Courts were spared.
Lagos suffered and lost the most. It is yet to recover.
The rage stopped the night soldiers stormed the Lekki Toll Gate, the epicenter of the protest, after the Lagos State Government declared a curfew, to according to them, enforce the curfew.
Live bullets were allegedly used by the soldiers on the protesters. The army insists the soldiers used robber bullets. Whatever, there were injuries and fatalities.
The FG asked Governors to set up a Judicial Panel of Inquiry in their individual states to probe the alleged atrocities of the defunct SARS, and Police brutalities in general.
They did. But Lagos was the most serious. And all eyes are on the state.
Things were okay, until a few days ago when the Lagos Panel, by a split decision of five – four, ordered the reopening of the Lekki Toll Gate, where the youths alleged their compatriots were “slaughtered.”
The Youths hit the roof. They said the Toll gate should remain shut until the Panel submits its report. They said it is like dancing on the graves of their compatriots. They said no soldier has been brought to book.
They, therefore, have decided to take over the Toll Gate from Saturday, February 13, for another round of protests, and have rejected all appeals to shelve it.
A rival group, with a hashtag, #DefendLagos has emerged, warning the #EndSARS group that they would not allow them destroy Lagos, their heritage.
It is likely to be “force vs force”. Plus, both the State and Federal Governments have weighed-in.
Lagos State Government has banned any form of protest on Saturday , warning of consequences. . The FG has warned that it would not stand-by and watch as the youths, under whatever guise, take the laws into their hands.The Government said no country would endure the mayhem unleashed on the country by the youths.
The FG is likely to unleash the Police and Soldiers on the youths, if need be.
And Lagos is on edge, especially, the Lekki area. The people are on lockdown. They know it.
In a Public Notice, Yomi Idowu, Chairman Lekki Residents Association, LERA, told residents that “the main gate into Lekki Phase 1, shall be closed by 5.00am on Saturday, 13th February, 2021, due to the impending protest at Lekki Toll Gate.”
But the #EndSARS are not moved. In a statement, the organisers said: “After commiting genocide by killing scores of people who were peacefully protesting at Lekki Toll Gate, and other parts of Lagos, Governor Sanwo- Olu and other oppressors want to spit on the dead, and dance on the blood of the innocent by reopening the Yahoo gate to be collecting their blood money again.
“We say NO! We are undaunted! We will be occupying Lekki Toll Gate again starting from Saturday, February 13.”
Given the security situation in the country, and the possibility of the hijack of the protest by hoodlums, not a few people think it will be foolhardy of the youths not to shelve it, and await the report of the Judicial Panel.
