News Investigators/ The Police Command in Lagos State on Friday warned that no rally would be tolerated at the Lekki Toll Gate on Oct. 1, threatening to prosecute any violation of earlier court order on the matter.
The police threat is coming on the heels of the decision by supporters of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, popularly referred to as Obi-dients, to embark on a 4million-man match in Lagos on October 1.
A Lagos High Court on Wednesday in a ruling ordered that while the group is free to assembly and embark on a match, it should refrain from converging at the Lekki Toll Gate.
But the police, in a statement signed by the command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, on Friday warned those who insisted to converge at the venue.
Mr Hundeyin, a superintendent of police, said, “It has become imperative to reemphasise that no form of rally whatsoever will be allowed at the Lekki Toll gate tomorrow.
“This emphasis has become necessary to enlighten Nigerians that might be misled into converging at the toll gate.
“A court of competent jurisdiction has ruled that no person is allowed to converge at the Lekki Toll gate for whatever reason, he said.
Mr Hundeyin said that the State Commissioner of Police, CP Abiodun Alabi has warned that anyone who disobeyed the court order would be prosecuted.
“In conformity with its mandate to protect life and property, CP Alabi, will leave no stone unturned in ensuring total compliance with the court order and an emplacement of adequate security in the state.
“While the Command is not averse to the peoples’ right to freedom of assembly and association; and expression, the Command will equally live up to its mandate of ensuring that no person or group of persons is allowed to infringe on the fundamental human rights of others, especially rights to freedom of movement and right to dignity of human persons.
“The warning therefore goes that anyone found flouting the court order or infringing on the rights of other Nigerians will be dealt with in accordance with the law.”
According to the spokesperson, the CP enjoins all peace loving persons to go about their lawful duties without fear of harassment or intimidation, as adequate security have been deployed to ensure the safety of Nigerians.
Mr Alabi, he said, had reiterated that adequate security assets had been strategically deployed to ensure the safety and security of Nigerians at designated rally venues and across the state at large.
