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Crime & Punishment of Friday, 16 October 2020

Source: www.mynigeria.com

End SARS: Thugs attack protesters in Lagos, Osun

File photo: The protestors File photo: The protestors

Many #EndSARS protesters sustained injuries in Lagos on Thursday, October 15, 2020, as armed thugs attacked them at Alausa.

Armed with cutlasses and sticks, the thugs stormed the protest venue in mass transit buses.

Hoodlums had on Wednesday attempted to attack the protesters, but were overpowered. Three of them were handed over to the police.

On Thursday, they arrived at about 8 am, with many of the protesters who had spent the night in the place, scampering for safety.

An eyewitness said they came in about 20 buses.

One of the buses was numbered 240171.

Over 20 protesters were said to have sustained varying injuries.

After the attack, the hoodlums left the scene, chanting victory songs.

The protesters regrouped to cater to their injured colleagues with the help of medical volunteers.

They continued with their protest in front of Ikeja City Mall in Alausa.

The protesters wondered why the daily police deployment was absent and the attackers came in a government-owned bus.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu condemned the attack.

He tweeted: “I strongly condemn the attack of peaceful protesters by armed and unscrupulous elements trying to cause chaos in Alausa today.

“My government will never tolerate the attack of protesters. Security agents will immediately protect peaceful protesters from miscreants.

“I have received reports involving a bus in our state bus service. Our buses will never be involved in such activities and I have instructed the state team to get to the root of it.”

The government, in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said the state would never encourage thuggery.

He said allegations that the government sponsored the thugs to disrupt the protest “is untrue and wicked”.

“Such wild allegations were obviously concocted by enemies of peace and orderliness to whip up sentiments against the government, which has been doing everything possible to resolve the crisis by identifying with our youths in their efforts towards police reforms,” Omotoso said.

He noted that the governor had addressed the youths twice, presented their demands to the President, and ensured that those arrested were released unconditionally.

The commissioner added: “The enemies of progress, who are not happy that Lagos is not on fire, are the ones fueling the infernal lies that the government was sponsoring thugs to attack our protesting youths.”

Chairman of the National Union of the Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Lagos State Council, Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya (aka MC Oluomo) described as blackmail allegations that he sponsored the attacks.

He told our reporter that he had on October 11 issued a statement in support of the protest and wondered why people would link the incident to him.

“I was surprised when my aides brought to my attention what people were tweeting on the issue. I couldn’t have been involved in such act because I support the quest to reform the police force. How will I do such when my brothers and sisters are among the protesters?” he said.

According to him, no sane member of the union would attack the protesters who he said are fighting a good cause.

In Osogbo, the Osun State capital, some hoodlums dispersed scores of youths protesting against police brutality in the early hours.

Armed with cutlasses, they marched from Alekuwodo area towards Ola-Iya junction where the protesters converged.

The hoodlums said the protesters had disturbed commercial activities in the state for six days.

Most of the protesters fled on sighting the hoodlums.