Lagos Arrest Leaders Of Persons With Disabilities Over Okada Ban Protest

The officials of the Lagos State government have arrested leaders of Persons Living with Disabilities (PLWDs) who had gone to the government house to protest the restriction of tricycles in some parts of the state, a human rights group, Enough is Enough, has said.

The protesters, in their hundreds, had stormed the government house in Alausa, Ikeja, on Tuesday and vowed to remain there until they get an audience with the governor. They had been ignored in an earlier protest to the governor’s office, Premium Times Reports.

Enough is Enough (EIE) said the protesters were dispersed with tear gas in the early hours of Wednesday.

“About 9 p.m. yesterday, the security guards hired to protect the PLWDs from unprovoked harassment were arrested and taken to Area F,” the group said in a statement Wednesday.

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“The police came back to beg the citizens to leave as their presence was embarrassing the government. About midnight, the external lights were turned off but over 600 PLWDs stayed strong. At 2 a.m., five of their leaders were arrested and tear gas used to disperse the others,” it added.

The state government, on February 1, began the enforcement of its decision to restrict the activities of commercial motorcycles and tricycles from major roads and bridges in the state.

Although the decision resulted in untold hardship to citizens, the government has refused to back down from its decision.

When asked about the arrest of some of the protesters, Bala Elkana, the Lagos police spokesperson told PREMIUM TIMES that he is unaware of any arrest. He would make efforts to confirm if there was any.

Gboyega Akosile, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said the state government did not order the arrest of any of the protesters.

“I’m not aware that anybody was arrested,” Mr Akosile told Premium Times.

“The state government did not order the arrest of anybody. We saw them at the gate yesterday, hundreds of them, but we are law-abiding citizens, nobody touched them.”

“Our government does not discriminate against people, protesters are entitled to peaceful protest. Nobody was arrested on the order of the state government, nobody,” Mr Akosile said.