The Lagos State Police Command has denied the allegations of utilizing stay ammunition on people who had assembled on the Lekki Tollgate to mourn and present their sympathy for the late singer, MohDangerous, on Thursday night.
There have been a number of movies circulating on social media confirmed quite a few people fleeing the scene after teargas was deployed into the air.
Some individuals have been left badly injured and carried to the hospital after the incident.
Police throwing tear fuel at Peaceful protesters at Mohbad’s candlelight in Lekki 💔🫠pic.twitter.com/DtfmyYHLB0
— BASITO (@itzbasito) September 21, 2023
Someone is reportedly shôt in Lekki. Please keep secure 😭🙏
pic.twitter.com/dfHyRLKCHa— OLAMIDE 🌸💖 (@Olamide0fficial) September 21, 2023
Reacting to the event in a press release issued on Friday, the spokesperson for the command, Benjamin Hundeyin asserted that solely minimal drive was employed to disperse the mourners who had obstructed the Lekki tollgate after taking part within the memorial occasion at Muri Okunola Park.
He talked about that the police had beforehand reached an settlement with the organizers of the MohDangerous procession, stipulating that the Toll Gate could be off-limits.
Hundeyin clarified that when the organizers of the memorial and the police repeatedly urged those that had gathered on the tollgate to disperse, no accidents or fatalities occurred. Teargas was deployed by the police when these appeals have been disregarded.
He emphasised that the Commissioner of Police had issued a warning to troublemakers, cautioning that people or teams inflicting disturbances within the state would face arrest and prosecution to the fullest extent of the regulation.
In relation to the continued inquiry into the occasions surrounding Mohbad’s dying, the police known as upon the general public to chorus from producing pointless disruptions and as an alternative grant the command the required inside safety house to conduct an intensive and immediate investigation.
The assertion reads,
“The Lagos State Police Command is totally conscious of false narratives making the rounds in relation to the dispersal of crowds on the Lekki Toll Gate yesterday, September 21, 2023.
“It is instructive to notice that the Lagos State Police Command had an settlement with the organizers of the candlelight procession that the procession was to finish at 8 pm newest and may terminate at Muri Okunola, Victoria Island.
“It was clearly said for the avoidance of doubt that within the curiosity of all Lagosians and contemplating the heavy use of the Lekki-Epe Expressway, the Lekki Toll Gate could be a no-go space.
“It, nonetheless, turned disconcerting that after the procession duly ended at Muri Okunola park as agreed, with the Police offering optimum safety all via, some individuals began gathering on the Lekki Toll Gate with intent to manifest targets extraneous to the #justiceforMohbad initiative.
“Being a transparent violation of the laid down settlement, the Lagos State Police Command invited the procession organizers who got here again and joined the officers on floor in persuading the folks on the toll gate to disperse peacefully.
“The organizers equally despatched out messages on social media asking everybody to go house, clarifying in clear phrases that it was not a protest however a procession that had been efficiently concluded.
“This persuasion and attraction went on for hours, to which the Police and organizers met defiance, each in phrases and motion. At this level, all lanes out and in of Lekki had been completely blocked. Vehicular motion on the ever-busy expressway had been delivered to a complete standstill, resulting in visitors build-up.
“Having gone down this street earlier than, having realized from earlier related encounters, and having studied the sample within the crowd, the pink flags and early warning indicators of complete chaos and anarchy have been discernible.
“Therefore, in achievement of our mandate to guard life and property, keep regulation and order, and forestall crimes, we adopted the least dangerous technique of crowd dispersal, following the failure of verbal persuasion – using teargas. Not a single stay ammunition was fired! The Police adopted crowd administration greatest practices in partaking the unruly crowd. No life was misplaced neither was there any harm.
“The Lagos State Police Command also appreciates the procession organizers for keeping faith with the Command and assures all supporters of #justiceforMohbad and Lagosians at large that it will continue to prioritize their safety and security at all times.”
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