Armed policemen and soldiers have been deployed in the Lekki Toll Plaza, Lagos.
The security operatives were reportedly deployed about midnight to prevent prevent #EndSARS protesters from converging on the place to kick off their planned fresh protests.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, did not respond to calls on Monday morning.
However, in a statement on Sunday, the State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, said any gathering or procession with an undertone of #EndSARS had been banned.
Odumosu said: “some unpatriotic individuals and groups, are planning to embark on the replica of the recent destructive and violent #EndSARS protest that left pains and agonies in Lagos State.”
He sated: “The Lagos State Police Command wishes to re-echo and remind the general public that the Government of Lagos State, businesses, individuals and security families still groan in losses and pains that the last violent #EndSARS protest occasioned.
“In the light of the above, the Lagos State Police Command, therefore, warns those who might want to disguise under #EndSARS protest to cause another set of mayhem, brouhaha and violence in the state to desist from such plans as the police and other security agencies will not fold their arms seeing individuals or groups orchestrating another violence and anarchy in the state.
“The command wishes to reiterate that any unlawful gathering, procession or protest will be suppressed professionally in accordance with the provisions of the law.”
In a related development, the Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Police has warned any persons or group of persons planning to stage any form of protest in the state to desist from such action or face the full wrath of the law.
A statement on Monday by the command spokesperson, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said “It has come to the knowledge of Ogun state Police Command that some misguided individuals are planning to stage a violent protest tagged “ENDSARS Phase II” today, 7th of December 2020 in Ogun State .
“While the command recognizes that it is the right of citizens to employ protest to express their grievances over issues of governance, there is however nothing at present that calls for such protest in the gateway state, except for those who see troublemaking as a lucrative business.”
He added: “No reasonable person after the massive destruction of properties and loss of lives occasioned by the recent #EndSARS protest would again be contemplating another violent protest so soon. It is the most callous thing to conceive and do.
“In Ogun state, we have, since the end of #EndSARS protest been enjoying well-deserved peace. Socio-economic activities have resumed fully.
“Schools have also resumed, and the children, in particular, can be seen happily resuming and closing from schools.
“Only an enemy of the people, therefore, would wish to re-enact the #EndSARS mayhem.”
This is coming amid reports that the planned second phase of #EndSARS protests is billed to commence today in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and other cities.
Organisers of the protests, who have raised awareness on the social media, said the second phase was to demand among other things, the release of all protesters detained during the first action, unfreezing of all accounts frozen by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as a result of the earlier protest and a referendum. (With reports by The Will)
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