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Court releases arrested #OccupyLekkiTollGate protesters on bail
BY NICHOLAS ABE
The Lagos State Police Command says 40 members of the #OccupyLekkiTollGate protest group arrested at the Lekki toll plaza on Saturday, have been released on bail.
The 40, including popular comedian, Mr Marcaroni, according to Lagos police spokesman, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, were arraigned at a mobile court in Panti, Yaba, where they were granted bail by the court.
Adejobi said the command arrested the suspects at Lekki Toll Gate plaza, Lagos State, on Saturday 13th February, 2021, “for conspiracy, conduct likely to cause breach of peace and violation of COVID-19 protocols.”
He gave further details: “The suspects had gathered at the Lekki Toll Gate plaza creating tension and behaving in such a manner that could cause breach of public peace without due regard for COVID-19 protocols major of which are use of nose masks and social distancing.
READ: Lagos #EndSARS panel divided on reopening of Lekki toll gate
“The command has however arraigned the suspects today to the mobile court at Panti, Yaba accordingly but were however granted bail by the court. They will appear in court on the next date of adjournment, 2nd March, 2021, with the certificate of COVID-19 test.
“The command therefore assured the general public that it will always discharge its statutory duties as expected within the ambit of the law, while appealing to Lagosians to be law-abiding and go about their lawful businesses.”
The #OccupyLekkiTollGate group is a fallout of the #EndSARS movement which towards the close of last year, 2020, protested police brutality and extra-judicial killings in Nigeria and subsequently called for the dismantling of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
The Saturday peaceful protest by the #OccupyLekkiTollGate was an expression of rejection of decision of the Lagos State judicial panel on the #EndSARS protest to allow operators of the Lekki toll gate reopen collection of tolls at the plaza.