The Nigeria Police Force has explained the reason behind the teargassing of young Nigerians who had converged at the Lekki tollgate for the second memorial of the #EndSARS protest.
Recall that young Nigerians protesting police brutality were killed at the Lekki tollgate on October 20, 2022, by men of the Nigerian Army.
At the two-year memorial, protesters were teargassed and chased away from the Lekki tollgate policemen on Thursday, October 20.
Benjamin Hundeyin, Lagos State Police Command, said the protesters were “becoming a nuisance” at the venue.
“You are doing a procession, just walk past. But these people now stopped there and climbed on the toll gate, becoming a nuisance, threatening to break down the existing law and order,” Hundeyin said.
“We can’t stand there and watch them misbehave. The least we could do was to use teargas, any other thing apart from teargas will be more harmful.
“There is no record of injury. We only did our job and faced those who were unruly,” he said.
Folarin Falana, a Nigerian musician popularly known as falz and Debo Adebayo, a comedian also known as Mr Macaroni led the protest which was cut short as the sound of teargas canisters rends the air.
