Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned Saturday’s arrest of peaceful protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, saying that the right to protest peacefully is guaranteed by the Nigerian constitution.
Scores of #OccupyLekki protesters including popular comedian Debo Adebayo, also known as Mr Macaroni, were arrested on Saturday.
In a post on Atiku Facebook account, he reminded authorities that the courts have also affirmed the right to protest peacefully.
The former presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 election posited that anything short of allowing people to air their grievances in a peaceful manner is unacceptable.
He posted: “The 1999 Nigerian constitution, as amended (Section 40) guarantees the right of citizens to peaceful protest. The courts have also affirmed that right. Anything contrary to that is not acceptable and stands condemned.
“It is the security agents’ responsibility to provide a secured conducive environment for citizens to protest peaceably in line with constitutional provisions and the African Charter on Human rights.”
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