Lagos Police Deploy Teargas on Sowore and Protesters Amid Demonstrations

Operatives of the Lagos Command of the Nigeria Police Force on Monday used teargas to disperse protesters demonstrating against the demolition of some buildings in the Oworonshoki area by the state government.

The residents who gathered to demand justice and government intervention after their houses were demolished claimed the buildings were demolished without prior notice.

Naija News reports that former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, was part of the protesters dispersed when the Police operatives fired teargas into the crowd.

Police started dispersing the crowd shortly after Sowore arrived at the scene of the protest organized by the Take It Back Movement in solidarity with those affected by the demolition.

Naija News understands the State Police Commissioner, Moshood Jimoh, had earlier warned against protests over the demolition and deployed operatives to the area to prevent breakdown of law and order.

However, speaking at the venue, Sowore alleged that Jimoh had directed the policemen to stop him at all costs.

Sowore was recently granted bail and released from the Kuje Prison after perfecting the bail conditions granted by a Magistrate Court in Abuja.

Sowore, alongside Nnamdi Kanu’s Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, and 11 others, was arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force during the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in the Federal Capital Territory.

The protesters were arraigned before Magistrate Abubakar Umar Sai’id on charges bordering on unlawful assembly and disturbance of public peace.

In his ruling, Magistrate Sai’id admitted them to bail in the sum of ₦500,000 each, with a condition that they present a verified National Identification Number (NIN).

The court further directed the defendants to provide their three-year tax clearance certificates and deposit their international passports as part of the bail requirements.

After fulfilling the bail terms, Sowore and the other defendants were freed from Kuje Prison.