The men of the Lagos State Police Command has said that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has ordered that journalists are not allowed to report the ongoing nationwide end hunger protest against bad governance and leadership of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led administration.
Sanwo-Olu had earlier said that he would not allow a repeat of the 2020 #EndSARS protest experience.
According to a report, the policemen stationed at Lekki Toll Gate of the state stopped the journalists giving a live report regarding the protest, against anti-people’s policies of the government.
They also said that they would arrest the journalist identified as Ben, working with News Central Africa telling him, “You have to follow us to the station.”
All the explanations of the broadcast journalist that he was discharging his legitimate responsibility fell on the deaf ears of the policemen as they insisted that he has to follow them to the station.
On live broadcast, the journalist said, “There are few police officers here who ask us to put a stop to the recording. We had already taken permission. Demola, we have to go from here and we will come back if we can. If we are granted permission, we will come back live, if not, this is how much we can take at the moment.”
The reporter was questioned over and over as the police said, “Why will you come here? Why can’t you go to the places designated for the protest? We need to get you to the office, my friend. Do you know what? We are here more than a week now. The commissioner of police sent us here for a purpose. What you are casting may not be what we want you to cast. Do you know that the Lagos State Government has designated two places in Lagos for protest? You are bringing focus to Lekki Toll Gate.”
The journalist responded to the police barrage of allegations thus, “It is our job. We go round to tell the people what is happening in the country. It is not the only place designated for protest that journalists go to. We are going round the state to report what is happening. All I have said is that there is relative peace here. And that is all. We are not provoking any violence. We are not inciting anything. We are in Lagos State, we are in Abuja, we are in Borno State, we are in Abia State, we are in Rivers State, we are in Delta State and this is what is happening across the country. “
