Get Guardian on GoogleThe Nigerian Police Force Monday said the #RevolutionNow protesters were dispersed because they didn’t get permission from the police before staging a protest.
“There gathering is unlawful, an unlawful gathering is meant to be dispersed,” the Area Commander, Area C, ACP Tijani Fatai said on Monday.
“There is not going to be any protest nobody contacted the police whether peaceful or not they were not permitted to protest.”
Some group of protesters converged on the National Stadium Surulere, Lagos on Monday to demand the release of SaharaReporter’s publisher Omoyele Sowore’s but they were forcefully dispersed by soldiers and policemen.
His arrest came after he called for a massive protest against the Nigerian government.
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Sowore was arrested in the early hours of Saturday for allegedly inciting a regime change. The Department of State Services while confirming Sowore’s arrest said his call for a nationwide protest against the government threatened public safety, peaceful co-existence, and social harmony.
“These threats include threats of sabotage, threats of subversion, threat of terrorism and, of course, ethnic agitations, separatist agitations, economic sabotage and others,” DSS spokesman Peter Afunanya said on Sunday.
“If we are operating as a responsible security organisation and someone is calling for revolution in Nigeria, we must understand the meaning of revolution.”
Sowore’s arrest triggered widespread condemnation, with Nigerians calling for his immediate release hence the protest.
Tijani insisted that the police had been mandated to stop the protest from holding and that was why armed security operatives barricade the National Stadium where protesters were gathering.
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