Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu has said the command would deploy all legitimate means to stop or neutralise the planned protests to mark #EndSARS anniversary.

Odumosu, in a statement issued by the Lagos State Police Command’s spokesman, Adekunle Ajisebutu, on Tuesday said the attention of the Command had been drawn to a post being circulated on the social media insinuating that the police in Lagos had agreed to allow street protests in commemoration of the one year EndSARS anniversary on 20th October, 2021.

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu has said the command would deploy all legitimate means to stop or neutralise the planned protests to mark #EndSARS anniversary.

Odumosu, in a statement issued by the Lagos State Police Command’s spokesman, Adekunle Ajisebutu, on Tuesday said the attention of the Command had been drawn to a post being circulated on the social media insinuating that the police in Lagos had agreed to allow street protests in commemoration of the one year EndSARS anniversary on 20th October, 2021.

The statement added that “It is acknowledged that citizens have the right to peaceful protests. However, in this instance having carried out a critical security assessment and intelligence report at the disposal of the Lagos Command in respect of the planned protests and attendant implications on public safety, the Command considers it inappropriate to allow such protests to hold. It will not stand aloof and allow breakdown of law and order which the protests may cause.

“To avoid a recurrence of the gory protests of last year during which some innocent Nigerians including police officers were gruesomely murdered, private and public property plundered and maliciously destroyed, the police will not abdicate their responsibilities of protection of lives and property by allowing such avoidable incident happen again in the state

“Therefore, in the interest of security and public safety, the Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu, wishes to warn the organisers of the protests that the police will deploy all legitimate means to stop or neutralise the planned protests.”

The police warned parents, guardians to warn their children against participating in the protests.

“Similarly, youths and other individuals or groups planning to take part in the protests are further warned in their own interest to shelve the plan,” the statement said.