The Lagos State Police Command has stated that it dispersed sympathizers who had congregated at the Lekki Toll Gate to lament the demise of the late musician Ilerioluwa Aloba, commonly known as Mohbad, in order to avoid a repeat of the EndSARS crisis.
This was mentioned in a statement posted on Friday by Benjamin Hundeyin, the public relations officer for the Lagos Police, and published on the Lago State Police X (formerly Twitter) page.
The statement claims that there was an understanding between the police and the march organizers not to gather at the Lekki Toll Gate. This understanding was upheld during the parade, but some individuals later violated it by assembling there.
Hundeyin observed that the police were compelled to use tear gas to disperse the sympathizers who had assembled at the Lekki Toll Gate after their efforts to convince them failed in order to protect people and property in the vicinity.
Part of the statement said, "It is noteworthy to note that the Lagos State Police Command had an arrangement with the candlelight procession organizers that the procession was to end at Muri Okunola, Victoria Island, at the latest by 8 o'clock at night. For the avoidance of doubt, it was made very clear that the Lekki Toll Gate would be off-limits in the interest of all Lagosians and given the busy nature of the Lekki-Epe Expressway.
However, it grew concerning when some people started congregating at the Lekki Toll Gate with the intention of achieving goals unrelated to the #justiceforMohbad effort after the procession properly came to a finish at Muri Okunola Park as promised, with the police maintaining optimal security throughout.
The Lagos State Police Command invited the procession organizers, who returned and worked with the authorities on the ground to convince the people at the toll gate to withdraw quietly because it was a clear violation of the laid-out agreement. Additionally, the organizers requested that everyone leave via social media, making it quite clear that this was not a protest but rather a march that had effectively ended.
Hours were spent in argument and appeal, and the organizers and police were met with resistance in both words and deeds. By this time, Lekki's entrance and exit lanes were completely shut. The constantly congested road had reached a complete standstill in terms of vehicle circulation, causing traffic to swell.
"Having been down this path previously, having learned from similar interactions in the past, and having studied the crowd's behavior, the early warning signs of complete disorder and anarchy were obvious. After verbal persuasion failed, we used tear gas to disperse the gathering in order to fulfill our responsibility to preserve life and property, uphold law and order, and prevent crime. This was the least detrimental option available.
No live ammunition was shot at all! In order to control the unruly mob, the police used best practices for crowd management. Neither a life was lost nor was anyone hurt.
The police spokesperson continued by saying that the command will not put up with anyone or any organization attempting to use Mohbad's passing as justification to cause unrest in the state. She also pledged to give regular updates on the inquiry being carried out to ascertain the precise cause of Mohbad's demise.
"The Lagos State Command Commissioner of Police now issues a warning to troublemakers, informing them that any individual or group of individuals discovered disturbing the peace of the state, regardless of their cover, would be swiftly apprehended and prosecuted to the maximum extent of the law.
The organizers of the parade are also appreciated by the Lagos State Police Command, which assures all supporters of #justiceforMohbad and Lagosians in general that their safety and security would always come first.
"In the meantime, the ongoing inquiry into the events leading up to Mr. Ilerioluwa Aloba's death is moving along nicely. Therefore, the general people is urged to refrain from causing unneeded disturbances and give the Command the stable internal security space it needs to conduct a thorough investigation on schedule.
It should be emphasized that the Lagos State Police Command has been interacting closely and frequently with all significant support organizations of #justiceforMohbad throughout this process, as promised.
The statement concluded, "This synergy must be maintained while the general public is guaranteed that they would be continuously briefed on the status of the investigation.
According to Bendelnews, tear gas was used to disperse demonstrators and supporters of the late Nigerian artist Ilerioluwa Aloba, also known as Mohbad, on Thursday night at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos State.
On Thursday, the demonstrators marched by candlelight in memory of the late musician.
