Nigerian Police Arrest Seven Persons In Oworonshoki, Lagos During Peaceful Anti-Demolition Protest

The police have clamped down on protesting residents in Oworonshoki, Lagos State, who were demonstrating over the alleged illegal demolition of residential buildings in the community.

Protesters told SaharaReporters that the demonstrators, mostly displaced residents, had gathered to demand justice and government intervention after their houses were demolished without prior notice.

However, police officers arrived at the scene and allegedly fired teargas to disperse the crowd.

In the ensuing chaos, at least seven protesters were arrested.

One of the protesters, who pleaded anonymity, said the demolition exercise rendered many families homeless.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that fiery human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, and land owners in Oworonshoki were attacked by the personnel of the Lagos State Police Command.

The protest on Monday was led by the Take It Back movement.

SaharaReporters learnt that the police contingent began to use teargas massively as soon as Sowore arrived the scene of the rally and was finding his way to meet the protesters.

Sowore had made good on his promise to attend the protest since last week soon after he was released from the Kuje prison in Abuja.

SaharaReporters learnt that the Lagos Police Commissioner, Moshood Jimoh, was seen earlier on the day directing several policemen to stop Sowore at all cost.

The CP Jimoh had threatened Sowore last week Monday not to come to Lagos for the protest but the activist replied that he would come to Oworonsoki today (Monday) and he made good on that promise.

Sowore later left the scene after raising the suspicion that the IGP had given specific instructions to some policemen to kill him at the scene of the protest.