How Yoruba nation protesters beat
Lagos police cordon
By Moses
Omorogieva
Lagos
Despite
the massive presence of policemen at the Gani Fawehinmi Park in Ojota, venue of
the Yoruba nation rally, agitators played some tricks to defy the cordon.
According
to a NAN report, the activists came individually to the front of Gani
Fawehinmi’s park, betraying no sign they were part of the protest.
While the
Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Mr Hakeem Odumosu, was briefing journalists at
the venue, the agitators began to bring out fliers, banners and putting on
T-Shirts with Sunday Igboho picture printed on them.
Odumosu,
however, appealed to them to be civil.
Odumosu
said the group did not notify the Police about their protest and that,
therefore, the rally could not hold.
NAN
further observed that as the crowd surged and became thicker, the activists
began chanting Yoruba Nation songs.
One man
dressed in white, even walked to the policemen, demanding to speak to Inspector
Jack. He was ignored as more protesters congregated behind him.
At this
stage, the Police started using water cannon to disperse them.
Teargas
was also used. Journalists were not spared.
The
agitators, comprising men and women then retreated towards Ikorodu end for
their safety.
Meanwhile,
unconfirmed sources close to the Police said five persons were arrested at the
venue and were taken away in RRS vehicle.
A
14-year-old girl, simply identified as Jumoke, was also reportedly killed by a
stray bullet.
But the
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, denied
the report in a statement, saying the Police “did not fire a single live bullet
at Ojota rally today”.
An eye
witness told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the body of the girl was
found in front of No. 428, Ikorodu Road, closed to Ojota Motor Park.
A woman,
Miss Tosin Oyemade, who claimed that the deceased was her salesgirl, said that
she had sent her to go and open the shop while she (Oyemade) went to the church
for an event.
“I asked
her this morning to go and open the shop while I went to the church for an
event, planning to join her later.
“My cousin
called me while in church that the Police had killed Jumoke; I quickly rushed
down only to see her dead body in the pool of her blood.
“I was
told while the Police were shooting, that people started running towards the
compound, where Jumoke fell down bleeding,’’ she said.
Another
eye witness, one Mr Julius Onaguruwa, told NAN that he was amongst those
running into the compound when the girl fell and bleeding from the chest.
The Police
spokesman said in a statement that the Police did not kill the girl.
“The
attention of the Lagos State Police Command has been drawn to a news making
rounds that a 14-year-old girl was hit and killed by police bullet today July 3
at the venue of the Oodua Republic Mega Rally in Ojota, Lagos.
“The
command hereby wishes to debunk the rumour and state categorically that it’s a
calculated attempt to create confusion and fears in the minds of the good
people of Lagos State and the country at large.
“The
command did not fire a single live bullet at Ojota rally today.
“The said
corpse was found wrapped and abandoned at a distance, far from Ojota venue of
the rally, behind MRS Filling Station, inward Maryland, on the other side of
the venue, with dried blood stains suggesting that the corpse is not fresh,’’
Adejobi said.