Lawmakers, Religious Leaders Slam FG Over Soldiers In Lagos

The Lagos state House of Assembly has described the deployment of soldiers to the state by the Federal Government as provocative and undemocratic just as religious leaders in the state have called for the withdrawal of the soldiers.

The lawmakers, who addressed a press conference at the Assembly complex Tuesday, frowned at the presence of soldiers in major streets on the state and demanded for the immediate withdrawal of the troops while the religious leaders described the action of the government as unacceptable.

Chairman, House Committee on Information, Olusegun Olulade, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, wondered why the Federal Government decided to take such steps when the protests in the state were peaceful.

He said: “the people have the right to protest and react, especially to policies that have economic interpretation, just like the increment in the pump price of petrol.

“We attest to the fact that the protest in Lagos was largely peaceful and civil except for the sad punctuation by trigger happy policemen who decided to shoot defenceless citizens.”

While sympathising with families who lost their lives during the crisis, he said: “we want to condemn in strong terms the present occupation of different parts of Lagos by military personnel to disrupt a largely peaceful protest by abiding citizens of Lagos

“This is reminiscent of the sad period of the reign of the military junta in Nigeria and must be erased completely in our national life.”

The House further described the action as a call to anarchy and destruction of public peace.

The State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Co-Chairman of Nigerian Inter- Religious Council (NIREC), Rev. Monsignor Bernard Ayodele Okodua, said religious leaders were at a loss as to what could have informed such a strange development.

He described Lagos as an epitome of peace and religious tolerance.

According to him, “as a state that has haboured over 20 million people of diverse backgrounds without any case of breakdown of law and order, even in the face of violence in other parts of the country, “we are at a loss as to what could have warranted such huge presence of military men who have taken over the duties of the police as if there is a coup d’état in the country.

Many residents of Lagos have also condemned the deployment of soldiers in the state.

When P.M.NEWS sought the views of motorists and traders their response was that soldiers are too aggressive and should be removed from the streets.

At Ojota, yesterday scores of traders condemned the presence of soldiers. Mrs. Olajoke Adenubi said: “I have my shop here in Ojota but since we saw soldiers in Lagos State most of us have decided to close very early so as to avoid being killed by them.”

“They are always too aggressive. They can kill anyone and nothing will happen. When I was driving to Lekki, I was stopped by these soldiers at Ikeja and I was shaking visibly when they asked me where I was coming from because my response could trigger their anger.”

“Lagos State is peaceful and Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola is up to the task. What prompted the idea of bringing soldiers anyway?

One of the motorists, Lasisi Abdullahi said: “I ply Ibadan-Lagos and while I was going to my house at Okesuna, on 3rd Mainland Bridge, my car had a flat tyre and as I tried to fix it with the only female passenger at 8 p.m. near Adeniji, drivers of nine vehicles stopped to warn me to make it quickly so that these soldiers would not arrest me.”

A Lagos-based businessman Chief Adegbola Adigun said: “we seem to be in captivity in Lagos with these soldiers all over the place. The presence of soldiers alone makes people to be cautious. Even the policemen are afraid of them. On Tuesday, soldiers attached to OP Mesa broke the head of a driver and bundled into their vehicle, on Orile Road in front of Unique Nite Club and people ran for safety.”

—Eromosele Ebhomele & Oluwole Adeboye