Abducted schoolgirls: Police, protesters clash in Lagos

THE non-release of over 200 abducted female pupils of the Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, topped the agenda of the Workers’ Day celebrations across the country on Thursday.

There were protests by various groups which attended the Workers’ Day ceremonies across the country.

The protesters, in Lagos, led by Seun, a musician-activist son of the late Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, defied what they called “police harassment” and insisted on staging the protest.

They carried placards and sang to demand action by the Federal Government and the military to secure freedom for the over 200 girls, who were abducted from their hostels 17 days ago by members of the terrorist group, Boko Haram.

Seun, while wielding a placard, which read, “Biggest economy: How does it affect my daily bread, shelter and clothing?”, had assembled with others at the CMS Bus Stop along the Outer Marina from where they planned to proceed to the Onikan Stadium.

The police were said to have told them not to protest at that point but when they refused to leave, tear-gas canisters were fired at them.

One of the protesters, Adeyinka Oloye, who is also Seun’s manager, described the incident as an attempt by the police to intimidate them.

Oloye berated the government at all levels, attributing insecurity, unemployment and lack of infrastructure to failure on the part of the government.

He said, “We went to protest for the release of the 200 girls abducted in Borno State as well as the strike embarked on by staff of polytechnics and Colleges of Education. We had assembled peacefully at the CMS from where we would proceed to Onikan Stadium when policemen told us to leave.

“We explained to them that we were marching peacefully to the stadium but they did not listen. They fired about five tear gas canisters at us. They would have even shot at us if not for the intervention of the Area ‘A’ Commander.”

The commander, Imohimi Edgal, however, warned Seun and the others to respect the state’s directives on protests.

Edgal said, “No one is saying people should not protest but the arrangement that was made was that everyone should converge on Onikan Stadium. Protesting at the CMS is very unfair to other people who are not involved in the protest. It would also cause traffic congestion for motorists.

“Also, the protest could be easily hijacked by hoodlums at CMS and the protesters’ security would be at risk. Anyone who wants to protest should only do so at places designated by the police.”

The SNG protesters later joined a larger band of protesters at the Onikan Stadium, where members of different human rights groups, including the Change Movement Nigeria, Education Rights Campaign, Joint Action Front, Civil Liberties Organisation and the Nigeria Labour Congress, among others, demanded better governance.

Some of the protesters wielded placards, which read, “I am Chibok, I give a damn”, “Stop chasing shadows, bring back our girls,” “I am a grandma, I feel for the mothers, please bring back Chibok girls,” “Hike of LASU fees by Fashola/APC is the peak of wickedness. Reverse it now or else…”